Marvelous
by Neuropsych
Summary: An old friend comes for a visit
1. Chapter 1

_**Marvelous **_

OOOOOOO

"Do we _really_ have to do this?"

Tony nodded, throwing the football to Peter, who caught it, easily.

"Your _mom_ says we _do_. That's good enough for me. And it should be for _you_, too."

The boy rolled his eyes, tossing the ball back to him, but Tony was right. Pepper didn't put her foot down very often, really, but when she'd walked into the workroom an hour before and told them both that they needed to go outside and get some fresh air, she'd _meant_ it.

Meant it enough that she even suggested the activity.

"Go find the football and go outside and play catch with your son," Pepper had said to Tony. And had then looked at Peter. "It's called the great outdoors for a reason. It's not going to kill either of you to spend some time outside. The suit can wait."

So there they were. In the field outside the Avengers compound playing catch with a football when both would much rather be in the workroom, trying to decide how they could incorporate vibranium into the new Ironman suit Tony was thinking about building.

"How long do you think we need to be out here before it qualifies as _going out and playing_?" Peter asked.

It wasn't something that he was an expert at, after all.

Stark shrugged, tossing the ball back. He was actually kind of enjoying himself, so he wasn't complaining too much. Peter was going to be starting school in less than a week, and then they wouldn't have time to spend together at the drop of a hat, so he was going to take advantage of it.

Maybe _Pepper_ had figured that out, too.

"I suppose until she comes and gets us," he said. "Tell me about the nightmare you had."

"It wasn't a nightmare," Peter corrected. "Just _weird_."

Weird enough to send him into Tony and Pepper's bed, with Nutmeg cuddled in his arms, as usual. Not scary enough to send him to _Natasha's_.

"What was it about?"

"One of the stones is angry."

"The teleporting stone?" Tony asked.

"No. One of the power stones – like the Mind stone, or Stephen's Time stone."

"Oh. Which was it? The Mind stone, or the Time stone?"

"Neither. There are six of them – you know that, right?"

"That's what Stephen said. You _dream_ about them?"

It was Peter's turn to shrug.

"Not all the time. I didn't even really know the other ones – just the _Mind_ stone, really – until I spent all that time on the astral plane waiting for you guys to get me back to my regular age. But they're out there, and one of them was _really_ pissed off."

"How _can_ it be?" Tony asked, curiously, holding the football. "It's a _rock_."

"The Mind stone has feelings – _kind o_f," Peter reminded him. "It's not like _people_ feelings, exactly, but they're there. I guess they _all_ must. I only have been up close and personal with the Mind stone – and the soul stone."

Getting flattened by the Time stone didn't really count.

"Any idea why it's so annoyed?"

"Nah. They don't talk to me – well, the _Mind stone_, sometimes – but the others are just out there on the edge. I can _feel_ them, but not that much."

"Unless you're dreaming."

"This is a first, I think."

"Huh. Well, if it happens, again, let us know. We know Stephen has a connection with the one he has, maybe he can enlighten us."

"Yeah." Peter caught the ball when Tony threw it. "I will."

"Mom wants to go school shopping this weekend," Tony told him. "And she wants _you_ to get a haircut."

Peter shook his head.

"I feel like Harry Potter. _'Get a haircut, get a haircut'_."

"We could shave you _bald_," his father told him with an amused smile. "Then it'll be more time in between visits."

"Cute."

"I happen to-" He was cut off when Peter suddenly turned his gaze upward, his body suddenly taut. "What is it?"

"I'm not sure."

"Activate your-"

There was suddenly a flash of light, like a comet coming out of the sky to land only a few feet from them in the field. Peter was flung back by the force and a searing pain going through his head, while Tony's suit activated immediately, and the man jumped forward, throwing his armored body between whatever it was that was threatening them and Peter, his hand coming up, ready to strike.

Incredulously, the brilliant light was in the shape of a person – a _woman_, he could tell, now that Friday had scans working. _Her_ hands were up, too, and there was power emanating from them. Almost certainly the power that had knocked Peter back, although Friday had already checked him and he wasn't out cold.

A different _kind_ of power, then?

There wasn't really time to ask.

The hands that _were_ pointing at him went lower, and were suddenly pointed at Peter. Tony reacted instinctively, firing a repulser to protect the boy from whoever and whatever this threat was. It hit, knocking her back, and she retaliated with a double blast of energy from those hands, which sent him tumbling backward, as well, coming to a stop as soon as his momentum allowed, but rolling right back onto his feet, other weaponry now activating on the Ironman suit, all aimed at her.

Her response to his threat was immediate; both hands came up, again, and Friday pointed out that this blow was going to be considerably more powerful.

Before either of them could do or say anything, Peter was on his feet. The vibranium Spider suit was activating, but he didn't need it. Stunned by the sudden pain searing through his mind and watching as Tony was knocked backward by the threat, he reached for the Mind stone's assistance – and received it, immediately.

His hands came up, and he swept them toward the unknown danger, a bright flash of yellow suddenly slamming into her, sending her tail over teakettle to land in an undignified heap. Tony moved up beside Peter, his ironclad arm reaching out and pressing against Peter's chest, pulling the boy slightly behind him as their foe regained her footing and turned back toward them.

Surprisingly, both Karen and Friday showed a considerable power-down, and suddenly all that was standing there was a woman. A blond woman with an interesting uniform? Outfit? And a slight smile on her face.

"Friday?"

"_Unknown. She appears human, is all I can tell you…"_

Tony deactivated the mask of his suit, moving just a little more to get between her and Peter. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the face of the vibranium spider suit also deactivate as Peter must have received the same information from Karen that Friday had given Tony. The woman watched, her hands now just hands, and held easily at her sides, although he could tell she wasn't quite as relaxed as she was letting on.

"Did you _need_ something?" Stark asked, noticing at the same time that there were suddenly several more people at the edge of the field, now, although he didn't turn his attention from her.

She smiled.

"I'm looking for Fury."

Tony glanced at Peter for only a moment before looking back at her, trying to decide if she was a threat to Nick, and he should just send her on her way, now, before something bad could happen. Before he could say anything else, though, a new voice broke into the silence on the field.

"_Danvers_? What the hell are you _doing_?"

She turned at the sound of the almost chronically annoyed voice and smiled.

"Hey, Fury."

Tony turned, too, looking at the former SHIELD director, but still watching the newcomer, suspiciously.

"You know her, Nick?"

"Yeah. I know her." He rolled his eyes. "Let's go inside."


	2. Chapter 2

The woman gave the two guys in front of her another look and then turned from Tony and Peter. She crossed the short expanse of field, heading for Nick – as well as Steve and Clint – moving easily, almost gracefully. Tony hung back, though, looking at Peter, worried.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Are you?"

"Of course. She isn't _magic_?" he asked, noticing that the boy looked a little distracted, but he hadn't been flattened by the woman's arrival like he had been by the Bifrost or being close to one of the infinity stones.

"She doesn't _feel_ magical."

If anyone would know, _Peter_ would. Well, probably Stephen or Wong would, as well.

"No bleeding? No headache?"

"No _blood_," Peter confirmed with a slight smile, tapping the housing for his suit and watching it retreat, while Tony did the same without tapping his chest. "My head hurts, but only a little – and not because of magic. Her arrival was pretty impressive, huh?"

"Yeah." Tony wasn't impressed, though. "She could have _called_, first."

"Come on, let's go see who she is," Peter said, eagerly.

Stark rolled his eyes, even though he was curious, too.

"Maybe we should have you checked out, first."

"No. I'm okay. _Really_. Did you see her take that repulser blast and then just get right back up? That was _amazing_."

"I saw _you_ get knocked on your-" he gave the boy another hard look; too many instances of seeing Peter struck down making him leery of accepting that he hadn't been injured, _this_ time, as well. "Are you _sure_ you're okay?"

Peter smiled, understanding, completely.

"Yeah. _Really_. I'm alright."

"You're not _dizzy_? Not worn out?"

"No." He hugged Tony, impulsively, loving him for being concerned, and relieved that he was able to not worry him by actually bleeding all over him, or anything. "I'm great. You were _awesome_, by the way. _As always_."

Tony shook his head, allowing Peter to distract him from his concern and hugging him back for just a moment. Then he let him go with one more quick glance – just to make sure he didn't look like he was going to fall over or something.

"Come on, kid. Let's go see who she is." He tousled the boy's hair, affectionately. "You know… if you _think_ something is coming, get into the habit of activating your suit before it gets here. Okay?"

"I'll remember that."

They walked into the building and Friday told them that Fury and their guest were in the lounge with the others. By the time they walked into the room, the woman was just being introduced to Clint and Steve. Fury saw them coming and waved them over to the bar, where they were standing.

"Tony. Peter. I want you to meet Carol Danvers. Former Air Force pilot and now more of a cosmic defender."

"We've _met_," Tony said, walking over and not quite ready to forgive and forget.

_Peter_ was. He smiled and offered her his hand as soon as they were close enough.

"I'm Peter."

"Carol," she replied, smiling at him and arching an eyebrow as she took the hand that he held out. "You pack a bit of a _punch_, Peter. What's your secret?"

"You're _military_?" Steve asked, before Peter could answer.

"I _was _Air Force," she confirmed, letting Peter's hand go and turning toward him. "Not any longer."

"_Discharged_?"

"Something like that."

"Danvers has an interesting history," Nick told them. "But last time I saw her, she was planning on helping some alien refugees find themselves a new home. That was… a _lot_ of years ago. Are you _done_, then?"

"Wait a minute," Tony said, frowning. "You're from _Earth_?"

The woman nodded.

"Yup."

He turned to Fury.

"And you _knew_ about her?"

Nick nodded.

"Yes."

"And could she fly and shoot laser beams out of her hands when you saw her, last?"

"I _could_," Danvers confirmed, more than capable of speaking for herself. "They aren't actually _laser beams_, though. More like force beams."

Steve caught on to what Tony was getting at, immediately – not surprisingly.

"Then where was she when _Loki_ came calling?" Rogers asked Fury.

"Who?"

"I _told_ you," Nick said. "She was out in space, assisting with-"

"She should have been _here_, Nick," Tony interrupted. "She could have helped-"

"I thought you liked to be called _Fury_?" Danvers interrupted.

"I was told it made me seem _cold_," he replied with a shrug. "Tried to soften my image a little."

"Hey." Tony hated being ignored. "_Seriously_? We took a lot of hits that day. She could have _helped_."

"She wouldn't have made it in time to help," Nick answered, seeing the rising anger in Tony's expression. "Besides, you guys had it under control."

"Had it under control?" Steve echoed, incredulous. "We were facing aliens and _gods_. A lot of people died. A lot of _civilians_ died."

"What are they talking about?" Carol asked.

"Everyone just relax," Nick said. "First off, there-"

He was interrupted by Pepper's arrival in the lounge. Tony glanced over at her, relieved that Peter was alright, and he wasn't going to have to explain to her that something terrible had happened to their son – _again_. She took in the newcomer and the annoyed expressions on Tony _and_ Steve's faces, and went over to stand by Peter, automatically checking him for any kind of injury. This put her right by Carol, as well, and the blonde woman smiled at her, holding her hand out, much as Peter had.

"Carol Danvers."

Pepper took it.

"Pepper Stark." She looked at Peter. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." The boy looked at the others, realizing that they definitely needed to calm the atmosphere in the room a little. "Carol's a friend of Nick's. From _space_."

"I'm not _from_ space," Danvers corrected, amused. "I'm from _Boston_."

"But you've been _living_ in space?" Peter asked, interested.

"Yeah."

"On the space station?" Pepper asked, curiously.

"No. I…" she looked at the others, and shrugged. "It's a long story."

"I have a lot of time," Tony said, glancing at Nick, still annoyed, before turning to the newcomer. "I'm really interested in _hearing_ it."

"So am _I_," Steve agreed.

Nick shrugged and gestured for everyone to move from the bar. If they were going to talk, they might as well be comfortable.

"Let's sit down, then, and you can all hear it at once," he said, reaching for a beer, before moving toward the table in the corner with the rest of them.

Tony moved up to put Peter between himself and Pepper as Steve and Clint pushed a couple of tables together, and Danvers seated herself, easily, beside Clint, clearly relaxed.

"This place is pretty nice," she said, looking around the room. Her eyes fell on the wooden carving that dominated one wall. The one Peter had had commissioned in Wakanda. "What does the _A_ stand for?"

Before anyone could answer, Peter's hand shot out and caught Nutmeg, who had launched himself from his cat tree, clearly determined to join in the conversation one way or the other. The boy tucked the kitten against his chest, looking a little chagrined at the distraction.

"You _must_ have been in space," he replied. "It's for the _Avengers_."

She smiled, clearly impressed by Peter's quick reflexes and the fact that he had seemingly plucked the kitten that was now in his hands from nowhere. She held her hands out, and the boy handed Nutmeg over to her.

"What are the Avengers?"

"_That's_ a long story, too," Nick said.

Danvers shrugged, sticking her face in Nutmeg's furry stomach, and smiling when the kitten started to purr.

"I've got a little time."


	3. Chapter 3

"So, you're saying Loki used the tesseract to attack New York?"

"He used an alien army to attack New York," Steve corrected her. "He used the tesseract to make it easier."

Danvers looked at Fury.

"How did he get it?"

"We're not sure, truth be told. Once Goose coughed it up, SHIELD had it – but then it was stolen. We tracked it to HYRDA, but they failed to keep it, and we didn't see it, again, until it ended up in the hands of Loki, who used it against us in several ways."

Clint ground his teeth, but didn't say anything.

"Where is it, now?"

"Asgard," Steve replied. "Last we heard."

She looked troubled, as she had since Tony had begun telling the story of the battle of New York, and how very badly things had gone.

"I _would_ have come," she said to them. "Had I known."

They all looked at Fury, who shook his head.

"I didn't have the communicator," he admitted. "I hadn't needed it, so it ended up in a filing cabinet in Alabama gathering dust. Then, when I recognized the need, it was too late to assign someone I might _need_ to go get it. Besides, I didn't know how long it would take for her to get the message and to reply. It might have all been over by the time she arrived."

"I might have been out of range, too," Carol added, giving Fury a little benefit of the doubt. "Even if he'd tried calling. It sounds like you guys did fairly well – all things considered."

"We did what we could," Steve said.

"Were _you_ there, too?" she asked Peter, still cuddling with Nutmeg.

"No. I mean, yeah, I was in _New York_, but I wasn't around the area of the battle."

"Thank God," Tony said, reaching out and ruffling the boy's hair, fondly. "Knowing your luck, you'd have ended up right in the middle of things."

Peter smiled at that, but he didn't deny it.

"It's my specialty," he agreed. "Being right in the middle of things when I shouldn't be."

Tony's smile was amused, despite the truth in the boy's statement. He _had_ to be amused; worrying about it would drive him and Peter both crazy – not to mention what it'd do to Pepper and the others. He turned his attention back to Danvers.

"So, you're just here for a visit?" he asked. "Saying hi to your old friend?"

"There's a little more to it than that," she admitted. "I'm not really crazy about the welcome wagon you guys have around here."

"You turned your jazz-hands on _Peter_," Tony reminded her, with a shrug. "I didn't know you were a friendly, at the time."

"I wasn't _aiming_ at him," she corrected. "I was _scanning_ him." She held up a wrist, which showed a complex panel along her forearm. "He went down, I wanted to make sure I hadn't injured him."

"Huh." Tony had the grace to look a little chagrined. "In that case, I'm _sorry_ I shot you."

She smirked.

"I'm sorry I shot you back."

Danvers looked at Peter, expectantly, but the boy shrugged.

"You _shot_ him. I was in the right when I attacked."

Pepper frowned.

"What are you guys talking about?" she asked, looking at Tony, then Peter and Carol, only to look back at Tony, expectantly. "Who was shot?"

"No one, Pep," he replied, smoothly. "It's nothing."

"You said you're not here for a social visit," Steve said, speaking up – although he was a bit amused by Peter's attitude; pleased that the boy was finally starting to be more comfortable with the offensive abilities that they were trying to train him to use – although magic wasn't something the _Avengers_ were working with him on, and still something he was very new and raw at. "Why _are_ you here, then?"

"We think there might be a rogue Skrull on Earth. I wanted to see if I could find him – or her."

"One of your shapeshifters?" Clint asked.

"How _rogue_?" Fury added.

She shrugged.

"Someone's making a play on the power stones," Danvers said. "Also known as the infinity stones." She looked at those seated around the table. "There are six infinity stones. Soul, Mind, Space-"

"We've _heard_ of them," Tony interrupted, glancing at Peter and then leaning forward, a little. "What do you mean, making a play on them?"

"The word is – and it's very _subtle_ – that someone is trying to collect them all."

"To what end?" Fury asked, frowning. "Just to have the matched set?"

"I don't know. But with the tesseract here – at least, thinking that it was here – I thought I'd better come and check things. So I came looking for you – and here I am."

"You think Earth might be a target?" Tony asked. "If this collector comes looking for the stones?"

"Not if it isn't here," she said.

"And if a different one – or different _ones_ – were…?" Steve asked.

"You know where one of the stones is?"

"We know where _two_ of the stones are," Fury told her – although Tony wasn't the only one to frown when he said it. Steve and Clint didn't know Carol Danvers any more than the billionaire did, and _they_ weren't so sure that it was a good idea to bandy that information around. Or to trust her with it. The SHIELD director looked at Tony. "Maybe we should call Strange? Ask him to come for a visit?"

"Natasha's at the sanctum, today," Peter said, unnecessarily.

The boy knew Romanoff's schedule better than anyone – including Steve, sometimes – but they all knew why she wasn't sitting around the tables with them, just then.

"What's the sanctum?" Danvers asked. "And who is Natasha? A stone-keeper?"

"No." Tony got up. "I'll make the call."

The blonde newcomer frowned.

"What do we do?" she said, wondering why no one else was making a call, or something.

"We'll wait," Fury said, shrugging. "No sense going over things more than once, if we can avoid it."

Danvers looked at the kitten in her arm.

"Where's Goose?"

"No clue. He hung out with me – for over a year – and then must have become bored with the lazy life of a domestic cat, because he vanished."

"So, this isn't a _baby_ Goose? Or a grandkitten?"

"He's the right color, isn't he?" Fury pointed out with a tight smile. "No, though, in answer to your question. That's _Nutmeg_. And as near as we can tell, he's just a stray kitten that ended up on Peter's doorstep one night."

"It was a rainy night," Peter added. "He was wet and cold."

"Poor baby…"

"Don't feel too bad for him," Pepper said, her hand going to the back of Peter's chair as she brushed her fingers against the back of the boy's neck, fondly. "He's the most spoiled kitten on the planet."

Danvers looked at Peter, who shrugged.

"Maybe."

Before they could say anything else, Tony returned and reclaimed his seat.

"Well?" Fury asked.

"It'll be a minute, but Stephen said they'll be here."

"Then maybe we can have some lunch," Nick said, reaching over and taking Nutmeg from Carol, cuddling the kitten, but keeping his face from the little guy, as he always did. The _others_ loved burying their faces in his soft fur, but Nick was smarter than that. "Anyone hungry?"

"I am," Peter said. He shrugged when Pepper rolled her eyes – he was always hungry, of course. "What? Fresh air will do that, right?"

"Right," Tony agreed, trying to keep down the almost automatic concern he'd felt when she'd mentioned someone being after stones, almost immediately after Peter had had a dream about one of them being pissed. That couldn't be a coincidence. Tony didn't believe in them. "Let's eat."


	4. Chapter 4

Lunch hadn't yet arrived when Peter suddenly felt a tingle of warning and set his glass down – right before he was suddenly engulfed in a heavy blanket of cheerful fabric. The others watched Danvers' eyes widen in surprise as the Cloak of Levitation soared into the room, silently, and found its favorite teenager, engulfing him completely and caressing his cheeks once it settled, still wrapped around him like an ugly shawl that was three sizes too large.

"What the-"

Amused, and well aware that _he'd_ worn the same shocked look at one point – although it was old hat, now – Fury spoke, first.

"Dr. Strange is here."

"That thing has a _name_?" she asked, uncertainly, arm having come up, automatically, but now being lowered, since no one – especially Stark – seemed concerned by the fact that the boy was being attacked by what looked like nothing more than a floating blanket.

"It _does_," Clint said. "But it isn't Strange."

"It looks pretty strange."

"It's-"

Fury's reply was cut off by the arrival of Stephen and Natasha, both walking into the lounge and immediately heading toward the group in the corner. Strange was dressed in one of his impeccable suits, looking as sharp as ever, while Romanoff was wearing a leather uniform – similar to the one Clint had on. She gave the blonde a seemingly quick glance that was anything but even as she walked by Peter's chair, brushing her hand against his cloak-covered shoulder, as if reassuring herself that he was uninjured and not stressing.

"Gentlemen," Strange said by way of greeting as he reached the two empty chair and pulled one out for Natasha before seating himself in the other – which put him next to Steve and somewhat across from the unknown woman. "I understand you have company."

"Carol Danvers," she introduced herself, not waiting for Fury or one of the others to do it.

She had watched their entrance, closely, not missing the confidence both carried themselves with, or the fact that the red-headed woman had immediately checked on Peter without saying a word, and that the sharply dressed man had also glanced at the boy. Obviously, Peter was well-loved by those around him.

Including the _bedding_, apparently.

"Dr. Stephen Strange," he responded.

"Natasha Romanoff."

Tony stood.

"Drink, Stephen? Natasha?"

"Please."

"Yes."

Peter would have jumped up to get them their drinks; he was younger and more agile, but he was also in danger of spilling his _own_ if he tried to take a sip, so there was no way he was going to be able to carry a couple of others.

"What's going, Nick?" Romanoff asked, thanking Tony with a glance, but then turning her attention back to Danvers.

"Carol's a friend of mine, from way back," he explained. "She's been… off planet for a while, but is back, now, looking for a rogue skrull who might be looking for infinity stones."

Strange frowned.

"What would a shapeshifter want with an infinity stone?" he asked, making everyone look at him, in various degrees of surprise.

Of course, he was keeper of the most complete reference library on the earth and spent a lot of time browsing that library, so none of them should have been at all surprised that he knew what a skrull was without being told.

"_Probably_ nothing," Danvers said, shrugging – and glancing over at Peter when the Cloak of Levitation shifted on the boy's shoulders, once more, and brushed a corner of fabric against Tony's hair, silently greeting him. "If anything, he – or she – would be trying to find it for someone else, most likely."

"Who?"

Another shrug.

"The list could be endless. From what I understand, the stones are each powerful, in their own right, but not that _useful_, really – unless you had more than one."

"They have their uses," Strange corrected her, absently. "But why would someone want more than one? – aside from the _Collector_, of course."

"Who's that?" Peter asked, curiously, even as an image was helpfully placed in his mind of a white-haired man with a thin face, surrounded by thousands of items that were clearly displayed – including some that were alive. "Oh."

"The _Collector_," Strange replied, a glance at Peter telling him that he was fairly certain the softly uttered _oh_ meant that the Mind stone had probably answered the boy's question, so he was answering it for the others. "Is Taneleer Tivan. An ancient being who controls Knowhere – a world with uncounted items that have been gathered into a hoard beyond imagine over the eons."

"A hoard, huh?" Tony repeated.

"Makes the sanctum look like Peter's bedroom," Strange confirmed. "They call him the Collector for a reason."

"So, he's looking for the stones?" Steve asked.

"Unlikely," Danvers replied.

"_Extremely_ likely," Strange corrected. "I'm sure he'd love the complete collection. However, he doesn't leave Knowhere, and wouldn't likely make a play to get any of them by _force_. He'd buy them, if he could."

"How do you know that?" Tony asked, curiously.

"Because he's offered me billions for the Time stone."

Danvers frowned.

"You know where the Time stone is?"

"Yes."

"Then maybe it isn't the tesseract that the skrull is seeking. It could be the Time stone, instead."

"Or _both_," Fury added.

"Where's the Time stone?" Carol asked, curiously.

"How do we know _you_ aren't the skrull?" Tony asked, before Strange could answer – not that he had even opened his mouth to do so. "Pretending to be Nick's good buddy from the past, getting the answers your collector buddy wants…"

They all turned to her, and Nick held up the hand that wasn't holding Nutmeg.

"Don't even _think_ about shooting up the place," he told Danvers. "A _verbal_ response will suffice."

"I flew in here, and shot you," she reminded him.

"You're not really making an argument for your case," Tony pointed out.

"The skrull can take _shape_ of a person – _and_ they can access their short-term memory – but they don't obtain any abilities that the person they're pretending to be has. So one couldn't take my form and be able to fly, or able to take you on in a firefight – unless it already had some ability to do that, or a _weapon_, of course."

Stark looked at Strange for confirmation, and the sorcerer nodded his agreement.

"That's my understanding."

"Huh."

"Why do you think there is one here on Earth?" Fury asked.

"I'm not positive that there is," she admitted. "But it was worth checking out."

"Would it know where to go?" Pepper asked, curiously. "I mean, we don't have any of the stones _here_. Why would anyone come here looking for one?"

Carol shrugged, again.

"If I needed information, _Nick_ would be the first person I came looking for," she told them. "I don't know about how it is, now, but it used to be that if there was a secret on the planet, he probably had his nose in it."

Natasha smirked, despite the seriousness of the conversation.

"That hasn't changed."

Tony frowned, again.

"Let me ask you this… these stones…? If someone was collecting them. Taking them from where they were without their say so. Would that make it angry? Piss it off, I mean?"

He purposely didn't look at _Peter_, but he _did_ look between Stephen and Danvers.

"I don't think they're like that," Danvers said. "They're powerful, but not alive."

"You've obviously never _wielded_ one," Strange replied, unable to stop from sounding condescending – but that was natural for him. It's hard not to be when you know more than everyone around you, after all. "They're very much _sentient_. Some probably more so than others. I don't know the answer to your question, Tony, but I'd say it could be possible to make one angry, yes. The question being, would it act on that anger and retaliate against the person it was mad at?"

"They _could_," Peter answered, drawing everyone's attention.

"How do we detect a skrull?" Tony asked, Danvers. "Does your wrist scanner tell you if one is impersonating someone?"

"No." she glanced at Peter, before turning to look at Stark. "Unfortunately, the change is all the way to the DNA. The best defense is questioning someone who you suspect. Asking them questions from further back – like childhood questions. They wouldn't have access to that answer."

"Well, we definitely don't want to let one of these guys into the compound if we can avoid it."

"Keep the shapeshifter out of the compound…" Steve echoed, shaking his head. "No problem."

He looked concerned, despite the sarcastic tone of voice, though. And he had every reason to _be_, the others knew. The compound was his responsibility, really, and he was probably already trying to figure out ways to make sure the personnel there weren't already compromised.

"If you kill a skrull that is impersonating a person, it reverts back to its true form," Danvers added. "Not _that_ helpful, I know, but it's something."

The servers arrived with their lunch, interrupting the conversation. Which was fine, really, because they didn't have anything to add to the speculation already being mulled.

"Stephen and Natasha missed your history," Fury said, handing Nutmeg over to Peter, who settled the kitten on his shoulder, where the cloak promptly wrapped itself around him to keep the rambunctious feline in place so the boy could eat – once more making Carol stare. "Why don't you give them the Clift's Notes version while we eat?"

"And then someone can tell me about the living rug…" she requested, making Peter smile.

Strange nodded.

"Fair enough."


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Okay, so I've seen Captain Marvel more than a few times, but I have to admit I don't know everything comic book related thing about the skrull so there will definitely be artistic license taken in this story. Just be aware and be patient and don't nit pick too much over something if I get it wrong, please?_

OOOOO

"Man, I miss _cheeseburgers_," Danvers said, putting the last bite in her mouth with unconcealed bliss. "That's the bad thing about being in space. The food isn't very good."

"What do you eat?" Peter asked, curiously. "Astronaut paste?"

She smiled.

"It's not quite _that_ bad. But there isn't a lot of fresh food, unless I'm on a different planet. Otherwise it's processed and plain."

"Did you accomplish what you set out to do?" Fury asked, her.

"Yes. For the most part. Not all of them are happy there, but it's a safe haven for them."

"Can't please everyone," Tony reminded her.

"True." She looked at Strange. "So, you're a _magician_, huh?"

"Something like that," Stephen said, evasively.

"Prove it."

The sorcerer supreme scowled at the direct challenge, but then held up his hand, which was empty. A moment later, Peter felt a tingle, and Nutmeg was suddenly gone from the boy's shoulder, resting calmly in Stephen's hand a moment later.

Danvers was impressed and didn't bother to hide it.

"How did you do that?"

"It's what I do," Stephen told her, calmly, handing Nutmeg back to Peter with a wink. "The sorcerer supreme's responsibility is to protect various dimensions – usually utilizing magic to do it."

"Is there only the one?"

"There are more of us," he told her. "We're spread pretty thin, though."

"He makes it look easy," Tony said. "But it _isn't_."

"I see."

Tony sighed, looking between Peter, and the newcomer, obviously uncertain about whether he trusted her, or not. _Fury_ did. That meant a lot to him, because _he_ trusted Nick. And Nick was probably the guy who had been voted least likely to trust _anyone_ in high school, college and maybe even _kindergarten_, really.

But it was Peter. And _that_ made it hard for Tony to trust anyone that wasn't already in his circle. They needed to make sure all the intel was on the table, though, and he knew that as well as any of them.

"Peter had a dream about one of the stones being pissed," Tony said. "We were talking about it, earlier."

There was a long moment of silence, with everyone looking at the boy.

"Was it _your_ dream?" Strange asked, curiously. "Or was it passed on to you by the Mind stone?"

The boy hesitated, surprised, really, that Tony had mentioned it. It was a dumb dream – and he was sure that it didn't mean much.

"I think it was my own."

"You dream about the infinity stones?" Carol asked, confused.

"He's sensitive to them," Stephen explained. "It's a much longer story than we have time to tell, just now, but the stones have a connection to him – tenuous in some cases, and much more solid in others. Any idea which stone was annoyed?" he asked, turning his attention to the boy.

"I wasn't really paying that much attention," Peter admitted. "It wasn't the Mind stone, the Time stone – and almost certainly not the soul stone."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because if _it_ was mad, I have a feeling that the soul stone would make itself known more clearly than what I felt. It's pretty powerful and I can feel it, sometimes, pretty easily."

"Does it bother you?" Tony asked, concerned.

"No. No more than any of the others. I'm okay. Really."

Danvers frowned.

"You talk to the Mind stone?"

Proving she'd been paying attention.

"It talks to me," Peter corrected. "Sometimes."

"Any idea where it _is_?"

"It's on Earth," Tony said. "Nowhere near here."

"How many infinity stones are on this planet?" she asked, looking concerned.

"_Two_," Fury replied. "Dr. Strange guards the Time stone, and the Mind stone is on the other side of the planet, somewhere."

"I'd be interested in seeing the Time stone," Danvers said, looking at the sorcerer.

Strange shook his head.

"It's not a bauble to be taken out for show and tell. Besides, if someone _is_ looking to add to their collection of stones, then it's better off where it _is_, really – and I'll keep it there."

She locked gazes with him, making her own assessment of the man, and then nodded, as if making up her mind.

"Fine." She looked at Fury. "What about the Mind stone?"

"It's better off where it is, too," Nick told her. "And well-guarded."

Between Maximoff and Vision, there probably wasn't a lot that the two couldn't handle. They were safer if the rest of the Avengers – and Carol – stayed clear and didn't put a target on their heads.

"What do we do about the skrull that you're worried about?" Romanoff asked.

Tony looked at Stephen.

"I don't suppose there's a spell to reveal if a person is really them, or if they're being impersonated?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Strange admitted. "But I'll go home and ask Wong. If anyone knows of one – or knows how to _create_ one – it'll be him, most likely."

The sorcerer stood up, then, and glanced over at Peter.

"Pay attention to that gut of yours," he said, seriously, gesturing for the cloak to join him. "You can tell if something's happening, usually. You might be the best chance to know if someone isn't who they appear to be… Especially if the Mind stone is listening in, as well."

The boy nodded, looking worried, suddenly. Not as worried as _Tony_ did, however – or _Natasha_.

"I will."

The cloak caressed Peter's ear for just a moment, and then swept from the boy's shoulders over to Stephen's collar.

"I'll let you know if I learn anything," he told them – looking at Tony, but addressing all of them. "Let me know what – if anything – you find."

"We will."

A moment later Strange was gone, and Danvers shook her head.

"That's impressive."

"Yeah," Tony agreed. "He's an impressive guy."

"So how do we keep the compound safe from this skrull?" Steve asked. "Assuming it comes here looking for Nick…"

"Or decides to pretend to _be_ Nick," Natasha added.

Tony looked at Danvers.

"What's the range of the memories that it would be able to access in a person they're pretending to be?"

"And what happens to the person?" Clint asked, curiously.

"Nothing happens to them – unless the skrull does something to them," she assured the group. "They're not supernatural; they can be injured and killed and they're not usually aggressive – because it's easier for them to simply become someone else and hide in plain sight. And usually the memory limit is a couple of years."

Tony nodded, looking at the others.

"So we've known each other more than that – we can question each other if there's a concern." He turned to Peter. "You do what Stephen said and listen to your gut, okay? Keep yourself safe."

"They wouldn't come after me," Peter pointed out.

"Are you _kidding_?" Danvers said. "You have a connection to the infinity stones. If anyone wanted to track them down, you'd be the first person they'd want to grab. Stark's correct; you need to be _careful_."

Tony scowled.

"The first one they put him next to would kill him. So we'll have to make sure that doesn't happen."

"I'll be careful," Peter assured him – and _Pepper_, who suddenly looked concerned, as well. "


	6. Chapter 6

When the meal was finished, Nick suggested that they take a break from speculation.

"We know all we're going to know, right now," he pointed out. He looked at Danvers. "Are you staying, or did you just come to stir things up and then leave?"

"No. I'll stick around," she said, with a shrug. "For a while. Just in case I'm _needed_."

Clearly she was feeling guilty for not being there when she might have been useful against the Chitari in New York.

"Steve? Will you get her settled into a room?"

"Sure."

They both stood, but Danvers looked at the others.

"I know I didn't really ease your minds about this whole thing, and I'm sorry about that."

"We don't need sugar coating," Tony told her, giving a shrug of his own. "If there's a threat, we need to know about it so we can deal with it."

She nodded her agreement, and turned and left with Steve.

OOOOOOO

"So…_ Captain America_, huh?" she said as they entered the corridor.

He gave her a slight smile.

"You've heard of me?"

"Of the most famous soldier, _ever_?" she asked with amused sarcasm. "Yeah. I've heard a thing or two. How did you end up with the Avengers? And how did they get _that_ name?"

She didn't mention it was her call sign, and Rogers wouldn't have known.

"Nick is the answer to both of those questions," he admitted. "The Avengers initiative was his project from the beginning, and when they pulled me out of the ice, he brought me in on it._ Earth's mightiest heroes_, as Tony likes to call us."

Danvers smirked.

"And _Peter_? He's a little _young_ to be a superhero."

"Don't underestimate him," Steve told her, shaking his head. "That young man has the potential to be better than all of us, some day. But, no, at the moment, he isn't an Avenger. He's Tony's adopted son and they live here because it's better for Peter than having him anywhere else."

"How?"

"It's _safer_, for one thing. Tony Stark is a billionaire, and a superhero, and has a lot of enemies who would probably love to destroy the thing he loves most just to hurt him. Or kidnap Peter for some of Tony's wealth. If he lived in the city, we couldn't watch him like we can, here."

"Is that the voice of experience talking?" she asked. "Why do I get the feeling that someone's made a play for him, before?"

"They _have_," he confirmed. "More than once, now. And they're _all_ dead."

She raised an eyebrow at that.

"Oh?"

Steve gave her a one-shouldered shrug.

"Some Avengers are more dangerous where Peter is concerned than others."

"Like _Romanoff_?"

It was obvious that she had realized – or sensed? – who the most dangerous person at the table had been, despite the fact that Natasha hadn't spoken up very often.

"She's a good example, yes."

They reached the VIP rooms, then, and he opened the door for her.

"These will be your quarters while you're here," he told her, following her into the living room when she walked in, looking around, curiously. "We didn't get you a basket of fruit. Sorry."

"I'll live." She looked into the bathroom and the bedroom. "Nice."

"It's a nice place," he conceded. "We _could_ guard the earth in squalor, but why should we, right?"

She smiled.

"True. So now what?"

"Now we wait to see what happens."

"I meant; what do I do?"

"It's been a while since you've been on Earth, right?"

"Yes."

"Then I suggest you do what I did when they pulled me out of the ice," he told her, walking over to a display and turning it on, then showing her how to bring up the files. "Catch up on everything that you've been missing."

"Right."

"You're not a prisoner, though, of course. Feel free to look around – although I'll ask that you steer clear of the places marked for authorized personnel only, at the moment. There's plenty to see, aside from that. You can always go to the gym and introduce yourself to Tony's pig."

She frowned, obviously trying to decide if he was being funny or not, and decided that he wasn't – although his eyes were clearly amused.

"He has a _pig_?"

"Yep. Ironpig."

"Are you going to tell me _that_ story?"

"_Later_, Danvers," he said. "Catch up on the other history, first. If you're still curious, later, I'll tell you the story – or let _Peter_ tell it to you."

Danvers nodded, her expression relaxed.

"Fair enough."

"If you need anything, ask anyone you see to call me," he told her. "They'll know where I am."

"Thanks, Captain America."

He smiled.

"You can call me _Steve_."

And he left, closing the door behind him. Danvers stared at the door for a minute, and then hesitated, torn between the thought of a real bath (or shower) and a chance to catch up on everything that she'd missed in the years that she'd been gone. She ended up in front of the display.

OOOOOOO

"You look pale," Tony said, looking at Peter once Steve had left with their guest. "How's the head?"

"It's not too bad," he said.

"What happened to his head?" Pepper asked.

Natasha was clearly curious, as well.

"Nothing," Peter assured her. Them. "We were out playing catch with the football when Ms. Danvers arrived and it knocked me back?"

"Was it magic?" Natasha asked. "Like the Bifrost?"

She, of course, was always interested in getting intel. Even on a person presented as an ally. How best to know what kind of assistance to expect from them – if _any_?

"I don't think so," Peter said. "I didn't feel anything like I do with Stephen – or when Thor came. This was just a lot of power. I think."

"He was closer to it than I was," Tony told them. "_And_ he didn't activate that new suit of his quickly enough to allow it to absorb the energy – which is the whole point of having a cool, new suit that can activate so quickly."

"It's still new to me," Peter reminded him, chagrined. "I'll get there."

Pepper's hand went to Peter's forehead, and she frowned.

"You're a little warm."

"Because the cloak was all over me."

"Maybe you should go take a nap, or something…" Tony told him, more to keep Pepper from worrying than because he was really concerned. "It'll help the headache, right?"

"I'm okay. Really."

"Did you say you were playing _catch_?" Natasha asked, curiously.

"Yeah."

"With…?"

"Tony."

"With a ball?"

"Yes."

Pepper rolled her eyes, amused at the interrogation.

"Because…?"

"_Mom_ said to," Peter told her, using the exact reasoning that Tony had used on him.

"We were in the field when Danvers came shooting out of the sky like a missile," Tony said. She knocked Peter down and then we had a little bit of a firefight – that wasn't dangerous," he added, quickly. "But Peter used magic, and said he had a headache, after."

"But I'm _fine_, now," Peter assured them, brushing his fingers through Nutmeg's fur. "I've eaten and had a chance to sit for a while. If I start feeling tired, I'll go get some rest. Or if the headache doesn't go away."

"Fair enough," Tony said, before Pepper could argue. The guy was old enough to not be babied – at least, not when he wasn't sleepwalking, or injured or sick. Which he wasn't, just then. Stark couldn't help reaching out and touching him, again, though, just to make sure. Then he looked at Nick. "What else do you know about these skrulls? Anything?"

"I've _met_ them," Fury told him.

"Seen them in action?"

"Yes."

"Then tell us what you know," Tony requested, reaching for his coffee cup. "The more we can learn, the better."

It was clear that Clint and Natasha agreed, because neither was making any sign of getting up, just then, and Pepper stayed in her seat, as well, even though she had been working on some paperwork before Friday had interrupted her to let her know what was happening. Peter didn't move, either; even though his mind was already getting an image of an alien looking green humanoid with weird ears and reptilian features.

When Nick was done, if there was more to tell, Peter knew the others wouldn't mind if he told them what else he might be able to add. He reached for his drink, making sure Nutmeg was still relaxed and not ready to pounce on someone – or something.


	7. Chapter 7

"So they talk and everything?" Steve asked, when Nick was finished telling them what he knew – and what little exposure that he'd had to the skrull. "They're intelligent and humanoid?"

He'd returned from settling their guest and joined the briefing, naturally.

"Yeah. As smart as we are – _some_ of us, anyway," he corrected, glancing at Tony. "And, since they're _aliens_, we can assume they have different – and more advanced – tech, as well. The ones I met did."

"Friday can keep the compound relatively safe from infiltration," Stark said, biting down the annoyance he felt at hearing that _anyone_ might have better tech than he did.

"How?" Clint asked.

"I'll just make sure she knows to alert me if there is two of anyone running around." He looked at Steve. "We don't have any identical twins in SHIELD or support?"

"No."

"So, _two_ of someone will be a tell, for sure."

"And if they copy _you_?" Nick asked. "What's to stop the copycat from controlling your AI?"

Tony shrugged.

"Friday's a constant presence in the back of my mind – through the suit, the nanites and our connections. She'd be alerted immediately if there were suddenly two of me, and I'll make sure, _now_, that she doesn't accept commands from any duplicate."

"And if we _catch_ one?" Natasha asked. "Then what?"

"We'll let Danvers talk to it," Fury said. "She knows the race best, and will probably be the best one to decide what to do with the intel we can get from it."

Tony looked at Peter, who had been paying attention, but was looking a little distracted.

"Anything to add?" he asked. "I don't suppose the Mind stone is telling you anything we don't already know?"

"Nothing that Nick didn't already tell us," he admitted. "Sorry."

"I asked you a while back if someone was trying to pretend to be something other than what they were, would you be able to tell," Nick said to Peter. "Remember that conversation?"

The boy nodded.

"You asked if Nutmeg wasn't a cat and was something else, would I be able to tell."

"Right. And _you_ said that you didn't think he could be without you knowing about it. Now, _obviously_ I wasn't thinking about skrull at the time, but it raises a question. Do you think you'd catch on if something is off like that?"

"I don't know. I think I'd know something was _up_, though." He hesitated. "When Shuri and I met in Syracuse, she was using some tech to blend in to the fake plants in the back of the room we were in. I had a feeling someone was there, even though I wasn't completely certain – and I didn't know who it was, obviously."

"So, you'd maybe get a vibe…" Natasha said, nodding.

"Yeah. I _think_."

"We can't hold him up in front of everyone coming through the door in the morning." Pepper pointed out.

"No." Tony agreed with that. "But Stephen was right, son. Pay attention to your gut, okay? If anything feels off, make sure you let someone know. Yeah?"

"Okay." He looked at them all. "What do we do, now?"

"Nothing we _can_ do," Steve said, shrugging. "We've been warned, and we know to keep our guard up. Until something presents itself as a problem, we keep doing what we normally would."

"And you and your dad go back outside and finish your game of _catch_," Pepper told him.

"What?"

"You _heard_ me."

"But the skrulls…"

She smirked, and turned to Tony, who forced down his smile.

"Has Friday been alerted?"

"Yes."

"Then take your son outside and get that fresh air."

"But what if the _skrulls_ come?" Peter asked, aghast.

They'd just heard about a possible alien _invasion_, after all.

"If enough come, then you can choose up sides and play a _game_. Otherwise, I suppose you can play 500." She ignored the boy's surprise, and turned to Steve and Clint – who were both grinning. "_You two_ can go play with them, too," she added. "A little exercise won't kill any of you."

They both frowned. Identical frowns that made Romanoff smile.

"Maybe I'll come play 500 with you."

She could use some fresh air. Besides, Peter didn't know it – although the others almost certainly _did_ – but Pepper had just surrounded the boy with Avengers, rather than sending him off to his room or someplace where he might be by himself – and maybe a solitary target.

"Nick?" Tony asked, expectantly, looking at the former SHIELD director.

"No. I don't _need_ fresh air. Besides," he said, reaching over and taking Nutmeg from Peter. "Someone needs to watch the _cat_."

OOOOOOO

"You know… I'm a _grown man_…"

They all looked at Clint, who reached down and picked up the football than had been left in the field with the arrival of Danvers.

"Yes. We are aware," Natasha agreed, reaching for the ball. "Your point?"

"I was just told to go out and play, basically."

"Yes."

"When did _Pepper_ become mom?"

"When she married _daddy_," Romanoff said with a smirk. "It's in her mindset, now, because she's Peter's mom."

"But…"

"Just go with it, Clint," Tony said, waving Natasha back, while the guys all clumped into a group. "It's not that big of a deal to play catch, and it'll keep her happy."

"_If momma isn't happy, nobody's happy,"_ Steve quoted, sagely. "Even _I_ know that."

"Exactly," Tony agreed.

They watched as Natasha made it to the range of her throwing area, and then waited for her to throw the ball. Five hundred was a fairly easy game – especially for a group of geniuses. The tosser would throw the ball, everyone else would try to be the one to catch it. One hundred points if you caught it. First guy to five hundred became the new tosser and Natasha would come join them and it would start over, again.

How rough the game was depended on who was in the group trying to catch the ball – and how competitive those people were.

Needless to say, there was a lot of good-natured pushing and shoving going on when the ball came sailing through the air at them, and a whoop of triumph when Steve muscled Peter out of the way to catch it.

"_Ha_! In your _face_, little man," he said, grinning at the boy, and tossing the ball back to Natasha so she could throw it, again.

Peter laughed; it was always fun to watch Steve drop a little of the Captain America dignity and play games with him. He loved living at the compound so much. He moved back into the group, nudging Steve with an elbow to clear a little space between the two of them, and then doing the same with Clint. He was little, yeah, but thanks to a lot of practice, he could catch the football with the best of them, now.

OOOOOOOO

"What are you playing?" a decidedly female voice asked, drawing their attention.

Carol Danvers was walking across the field toward them, still dressed in the uniform that she'd been wearing before. Tony remembered that they hadn't seen a carryon bag with her when she'd landed, and reminded himself to open up the compound supplies to find her some street clothes. Or have someone loan her a car to let her go shopping for something if she didn't like the options.

"500," Peter told her, watching to make sure that Clint didn't throw the ball while they weren't paying attention. It was absolutely the chaos he'd love to create. "Want to play?"

"Yeah."

"Done with your research?" Steve asked, smiling as she walked into the group and showed she knew exactly how to play when she nudged Peter with her elbow, smiling at the boy to make sure he knew it was in good fun.

"Taking a _break_," she said, echoing his smile with a slight one of her own. "I saw you guys from the window and was hoping I could play, too."

"Sure," Tony told her. "We get a few more folks and maybe there'll be enough to play a game."

Not that _he_ would play, though. If there were that many people, then there would be enough that (hopefully) no one would notice if he made his escape and went to find Pepper. Or maybe Ironpig, and _then_ Pepper.

Either way, he'd had enough fresh air, but couldn't make his escape, just yet.


	8. Chapter 8

They didn't have enough people join them to make a real game out of it.

Which didn't mean it wasn't a good time, however. Bruce came out and played a little while, right before Tony told them he needed to go check on Ironpig and left. Peter was the tosser at the time, and Stark trotted over to him and told him that he'd see him at dinner.

"He _really_ has a pig?" Danvers asked, wondering if it was a code word, or something.

She'd looked up the Avengers, first thing, when she'd started her research on what she had missed while being gone, and Tony Stark had been the first person to pop onto the display, larger than life – in more ways than one. Danvers had been fascinated by the man's history, and a little put off by some of the things that she'd read – although _she_ knew better than anyone that people can change. He was married, now, which was often a good way to settle someone down.

If being a superhero who flew around in an radically armed metal suit could actually be called _settling down_.

Then she'd looked up some of the others. The information for Steve Rogers was plentiful; she'd known who he was, though, already – and had had to dampen down her initial reaction at actually _meeting_ Captain America. It was hard to be taken seriously if you were squealing, excitedly, after all. Clint Barton didn't seem to have any extraordinary powers, and there was only enough on Romanoff to note that she was also called Black Widow. Clearly the woman was dangerous.

But Carol had already figured that out.

No mention of magicians being associated with the Avengers, although a search for Dr. Stephen Strange came up with enough information to tell her that he really _was_ a doctor. A surgeon (a _brain_ surgeon, at that) although apparently retired, now, after a horrendous car accident. Apparently being a magician and a surgeon was too much to handle. No magic carpet, though, and no mention of the sanctum, or anyone named Wong.

"Yeah. It's a piglet," Clint said. "Peter brought him home, and was going to take him to a friend's farm, but Tony gave it a name and suddenly it's part of the family."

"A _cute_ part, though," Bruce said, catching Peter's most recent throw.

"True," Natasha agreed, speaking for the first time.

They played until just before dinner, and Steve handed the ball to Peter.

"You okay?" he asked the boy, frowning when he realized he was grimacing, slightly.

Peter nodded.

"Yeah. Stomachache." He shrugged. "Too much _fresh air_, most likely."

"Not a _something's happening_ stomachache, though, right?" Clint asked.

"No. And not that bad – nothing like when I had food poisoning. It's no big deal. I'm going to go find Nick and get Nutmeg back from him. I'll see you guys at dinner."

They watched him leave, and the group broke up a little to go do whatever projects that had been put aside with the arrival of Danvers. By default, almost, she found herself walking back into the building with Steve.

"I looked everyone up," she said. "But I couldn't find much information on Peter Parker."

"And you _won't_," he agreed. "We scrub references to him, almost regularly."

"Because of who his father is?"

"That and to keep him out of the public eye as much as possible. We have enough to worry about with him. We'd prefer the average citizen doesn't know what he's up to and any more about him than needed. So his AI scans social media posts and videos daily and deletes anything that references him."

"Huh."

"Dinner's going to be in the lounge," Steve told her. "I have to go find Jack, but if you'd like I can come get you?"

"Who's Jack?" she asked. "Another Avenger?"

"Something like that. I'll introduce you, later."

"I'll come find you," she replied. "I think I'm going to look around a little."

"Try not to get lost."

OOOOOO

"Are you alright?"

Not surprisingly, Pepper and Tony were both hyper alert when it came to Peter, and the fact that he wasn't eating his dinner, but was instead pushing it around his plate, was always concerning. Especially where a teenaged boy was concerned.

He nodded, looking up at them and smiling because they both looked worried all of the sudden.

"What? Yeah. No. I'm fine, guys. _Really_."

"You haven't touched your dinner…" Pepper pointed out.

"I'm not really hungry. But I had a big lunch and it wasn't _that_ long ago, remember."

Tony frowned, his hand automatically reaching for Peter's forehead.

"You're a little warm."

"Been playing in the fresh air all day," he reminded him. "I probably got too much sun." He put his hand out and pressed it against Tony's forehead. "_You're_ warm, too."

Pepper reached for Tony's forehead, as well, and she nodded, grudgingly.

"He's right; you _are_ a little warm."

"Eat," Tony told Peter. "You know we don't like you missing meals."

"I have a refrigerator filled with snacks in my room," he reminded them both. "I'm not going to starve to death."

"What's going on?" Natasha asked, walking over with Nutmeg in her hands. "I'm seeing a lot of forehead touching."

"Peter's not _eating_, Natasha," Tony said, winking at Pepper. "Tell him to eat his dinner."

The spy turned to the boy.

"Are you sick?"

He shook his head.

"Nope. Just not hungry. Don't worry, guys. Really."

"You'd tell us if you weren't feeling well, right?"

"Yeah."

No.

They worried enough about him, already. If he were _deathly_ ill, then yeah. Maybe he'd say something. If he felt a little sick, a little fevered and had a little bit of a stomachache – all of which was probably the result of being knocked flat by the arrival of Carol Danvers – he would keep that to himself to avoid them worrying, and Stephen being summoned to the compound when he was almost certainly working on the skrull problem.

Romanoff frowned, almost as if she could read his mind, and he rolled his eyes and forced himself to take a bite of his dinner.

"Look, I'm _eating_. See?"

"Good." She didn't look completely convinced, but that wasn't surprising. She was pretty suspicious, after all. Even with _him_, sometimes. And rightfully so. "I'm going to keep your cat until you've cleared your plate."

"Yeah? Maybe I'll hold out, then, and get a good night's sleep for a change."

She smirked, and cuddled the kitten, pretending to cover his ears.

"Don't listen to him, baby," she crooned to the kitten. "Daddy's just being grumpy because he doesn't like to lose at 500."

"I didn't _lose_. I was the tosser twice."

"And I was more than a dozen times."

"Because they're all _afraid_ of you," Peter pointed out. "I'm just the kid they can push around."

She looked at Tony, who shrugged.

"He's not _wrong_."

"About which part?"

"Both."

Pepper smiled, glancing over at one of the other tables, where Danvers was eating with Steve and Bruce. Natasha had already eaten, because she planned to go to the sanctum after dinner and check in with Stephen and Wong. But mostly Stephen. Carol was now wearing a pair of loose-fitting black pants and a gray SHIELD t-shirt. Not the most exciting of outfits, but better than the stiffer leather clothing that she'd arrived in. Certainly, more comfortable.

"How is our guest settling in?" She asked, curious what Natasha thought of her. "I saw that she was out there playing with you guys."

"Seems to be doing fine. Considering that she hasn't been on the planet in years and has some catching up to do."

"You checked her out?" Tony asked, softly.

"Of _course_. Her story is right on the target with what Nick told us."

"And we're _sure_ she isn't one of these shape-shifters?" Pepper asked. "Despite the flying in and using power hands?"

"She _isn't_," Peter said, before Natasha or Tony could. "I was near her a lot while we were out in the field. She didn't set anything off in my gut."

"She doesn't in _mine_, either," Romanoff admitted, reluctantly. "Aside from the whole not being here for New York, she's probably exactly the kind of ally we'd want to have."

She didn't expound on it, but she didn't need to, really. The woman could fly, shoot lasers from her hands and was a graduate of the Air Force academy, so her loyalties were probably beyond question. Not that Natasha was completely sold on her, yet, but Nick _was_, and that was saying something, right there.

It made Pepper feel a little better, though, that the assassin wasn't watching the newcomer suspiciously. She definitely trusted Romanoff's instincts. It wouldn't be that big of a deal, but _Peter_ was at the compound, obviously, and her first concern, now, was who was around her son.

Her _second_ concern was keeping him healthy, so she frowned at him, giving him her best mom look – which she was still practicing in the mirror, sometimes.

"Eat your dinner, young man."

Peter smiled, and took another bite, despite the lack of appetite.


	9. Chapter 9

After dinner tended to be a downtime for all of them. Natasha was gone, or she would have relaxed with the others, but it didn't stop a card game from breaking out. Pepper and Tony took on Steve and Clint in Pinochle, while Fury found a spot on one of the sofas in the lounge to catch up with Danvers, who was watching the others in the room with interest while they chatted.

Peter didn't play cards, even though they would have played a board game, if he'd wanted to. He was sitting at the table beside the one that the others were playing at. He had the chessboard out, but with Nutmeg determined to knock the pieces over and carry them away of given the chance, he wasn't doing more than simply holding the kitten in one hand, tucked against his chest, and playing a match against himself with the other.

The stomachache wasn't getting better. Not that he was surprised, since he'd eaten more than he really wanted. More to reassure Pepper than anything, truth be told. Certainly not because he was hungry. Now he was beginning to feel sick, too. Like _going to throw up_ sick, not _I have a cold_ sick.

"Hey?"

Peter looked over, and saw that Tony and Pepper were both watching him, concern evident in Tony's expression.

"Sorry." He assumed they'd said something to him, and he hadn't been paying attention. "Yeah?"

"Are you _sure_ you're feeling alright? You don't look like you do…"

Tony was the one speaking, but even Steve and Clint looked a little worried about him.

"Yeah. I don't feel very well," he admitted. "I think I'm going to go to bed, early."

"I'll come with you," Tony offered, setting his cards down.

"No. It's okay," Peter told him, with a shrug. "Finish your game."

He got to his feet, Nutmeg tucked against him, still, and went to stand behind Pepper so he could give her a one-armed hug. Not surprisingly, her hand managed to find his cheek and forehead when he leaned over.

"Good night, honey."

"Night, mom."

She smiled – as she always did, and he messed up Clint's hair as he walked behind him and hugged Tony, too.

"Night, son," Tony told him. "Have Karen call if you need anything."

"I will, dad. Good night."

He waved at Fury and Danvers as he brushed his hand into Steve's hair to mess it up, as well, just because he didn't want him to feel left out. Then he left the lounge, went to his quarters and straight to bed without even turning on a movie or something to fall asleep to.

"He _looks_ sick," Steve noted, as the boy walked out of the room.

"I'll check on him when we're done," Tony said – not surprising any of them. "If he doesn't look any better, I'll call Adams in to have a look at him. Or see if Stephen is planning on stopping by when he brings Romanoff home."

OOOOOO

"_I've never heard of these skrulls."_

"_Neither have I."_

"_There's the potential for a lot of trouble if one were to show up, here."_

"_Yeah. _Friday_ will help, though. They won't be able to trick _her_."_

"_As long as both the skrull and the one they copy are here at the same time."_

"_Yeah. Good point. I'll remind Tony. I'm going to try to help, too. I can feel if they're not right. I think."_

"_I could help. If you _let_ me."_

"_How?"_

"_I can get into the minds of the people around me. It's a specialty of my people. We're healers – of a _sort_."_

"Your people_? What do you mean by that?"_

_There was gentle amusement, which made Peter smile._

"_Let's just say I'm not from around _here_, and leave it at that, for now."_

"_Why are you here?"_

"_For _you_."_

"_Oh. Because I did something wrong?"_

"_No. You haven't done anything wrong. But you're _damaged_, and I'm the best chance of repairing it."_

"_In exchange for what?"_

"_We'll worry about that later, Peter Pony." Which made him smile. "Let's take care of the skrull problem – if it comes – first. Then we'll talk."_

"_You can help?"_

"_I can help you know for sure if someone isn't _really_ themselves."_

"_How?"_

"_A skrull will _know_ they're a skrull. They won't be able to hide that from me. You just have to give me permission to bond with you – so I can see what you see, all the time, and you'll know what I let you know. It can't be _everything_, because you couldn't handle that. But it will be more than a gut feeling."_

"_Will it hurt?"_

"_No. I'll _never_ hurt you, Peter."_

"_Then go ahead."_

_He felt a slight surge of pressure, somewhere deep within him, and then something furry and soft walking across his shoulder and cuddling up against him. The pressure vanished in an instant._

_Then he felt someone touching him._

OOOOOO

When the card game ended, Tony and Pepper excused themselves and said goodnight to everyone. They were leaving the lounge when Tony decided to make sure their boy was where he was supposed to be, before they went to check on him.

"Friday? Where's Peter?"

"In his quarters."

"What's Karen saying? How is he?"

"He's sleeping, but has a low grade fever."

"_Still_?" Tony looked at Pepper. "Am _I_ still warm?"

She brushed her hand against his forehead.

"No."

They let themselves into his rooms, silently, walking through the darkened living area and into the bedroom. Peter was asleep, on his stomach as he preferred, they knew. He'd kicked off his blankets – a sure sign that he was warm, and feeling it – and was only wearing a pair of sweats. He was curled up against a pillow and curled up in the junction of his neck and shoulder was Nutmeg, who opened one eye when they walked in, but went back to sleep almost immediately.

Tony's hand brushed the boy's forehead, and Peter roused, slightly.

"Tony?"

"Shhh… yeah. It's me and mom. How do you feel?"

"My stomach hurts…"

"How badly?" Pepper asked, brushing her fingertips along his cheek.

"I'm okay."

"He _isn't_ okay," Pepper told her husband. The boy's skin was damp with sweat, and clammy, despite the fever. "Have Friday get Dr. Adams in here, please?"

"Yeah."

"It's okay," Peter told them, sleepily. "Nutmeg's going to help us with the skrull."

"Call _Stephen_, too," Pepper added.

He was obviously _delirious_.

OOOOOOO

It was a small group of people waiting outside of Peter's bedroom only thirty minutes later. Pacing and holding Nutmeg, Tony couldn't stand still, glancing occasionally through the open door to see Stephen and Dr. Adams both running Peter through a quick check.

Pepper was sitting on the arm of the sofa, watching the open door as well, while Natasha was leaning against the door frame, unable to sit, at all.

They all knew that Peter was sitting up in his bed, supported by a mountain of pillows, but he was in pain – and even scarier, he'd thrown up, once, as well, since Dr. Adams had arrived in response to Tony's urgent summons. Strange and Romanoff hadn't been far behind, and both doctors had shooed everyone else out so they could avoid worrying Peter who didn't want everyone panicking about a simple stomachache.

The concern grew, though, when a commotion at the door drew everyone's attention. Two medics entered, pushing a gurney ahead of them, nodding to Tony and Pepper and moving into Peter's bedroom.

"The hell?"

Before Tony could truly panic and rush into the room, brandishing the kitten in front of him, demanding to know what was happening, Stephen came out and wiped his hands off on a towel.

"Stephen?" Pepper asked, looking frightened as she watched the medics and Dr. Adams load Peter onto the gurney, and the boy winced. "What's wrong?"

"Don't panic."

"I'm panicking," Tony admitted, hearing a yelp of pain and the sound of Peter vomiting, again. "What's going on?"

"We'll double-check when we get him on the operating table, but-"

"Operating table?" Pepper echoed.

"We caught it, guys." Stephen Strange was getting much better at projecting calm. It helped that he was making a serious effort to do it. "We're pretty sure it's his appendix."


	10. Chapter 10

_AN: Just a little fluff. Also, just to make sure no one worries. I have a family reunion in Reno so tomorrow morning we are heading that direction. It's an 11 hour drive so there might be some silence on my end for a bit. No worries. I'll write and post when I can the next week!_

OOOOOO

It was a little longer than they wanted to wait before the gurney was finally rolled out of Peter's bedroom. By then, the boy had been secured to it with a strap around his waist to make sure that he didn't roll out, and was looking just a little glassy-eyed when Tony and Pepper each took a side, while Natasha moved to the bottom.

"He's fine, guys," Stephen told them all. "We gave him a pain-killer and a sedative. They're starting to take effect."

"Peter?" Tony said, pushing the boy's hair back from his forehead, and feeling a pang at the look of fear in his son's eyes. Peter was _afraid_ and trying valiantly to hide it, but the toddler that dwelled inside him at times was clearly terrified. "Hey…" he handed Nutmeg over to Stephen, who scowled and handed the kitten to Natasha, and took the boy's hand. "It's okay, son. It's an easy fix."

"Daddy…"

Yeah, it was the toddler who had control, just then.

"Shh… you're _okay_."

Pepper looked around, reaching for the vibranium cage that held the Ironman doll the toddler was so fond of. She tried to worry it open, but it was kitten proof and made so by being a single cage made from the polymorph – and unassailable by anyone but Peter.

"Stephen?"

The doctor saw what she was trying to do and an instant later the doll was on the outside of the cage. Pepper handed it to the boy, setting the cage on the coffee table.

"Easy…"

"What are we looking at?" Tony asked, trying to get his hand back but unable to slip Peter's powerful grasp. He squeezed him, reassuringly, but was watching Stephen and Dr. Adams.

"We're going to prep him and then wait for Dr. Davidson to get here," Adams replied. "He's on the way in, now. It's a simple procedure, though, and he'll remove the appendix laparoscopically to cause as little damage as possible. A day to recover in the medlab, and then he can finish recovering here."

"Why _Davidson_?" Pepper asked. "We can't _wait_. He's-"

"He's fine, Pepper," Stephen assured her – again. "He's stable, and we caught it in plenty of time, It has to be Davidson, because neither of us have ever removed an appendix, and if it were an _emergency_, I'd try it. As it is, it's better to wait. Otherwise I might accidentally take out a kidney, or something."

The humor was wasted on the two nervous parents, but Natasha smiled.

"Let's get him out of here," Adams said, gesturing for the orderlies to take control of the gurney.

They did, with Natasha moving so one could have the bottom and the other was pushing from the top of the bed, but Peter wasn't letting go of Tony's hand so _he_ had one side, and Pepper wasn't letting go of Peter's other hand, so she had that side. Luckily the corridor was plenty wide enough to accommodate them.

Romanoff walked beside Strange, who hung back a little.

"He's really going to be okay?" she asked, allowing her own concern to show, now that Tony and Pepper couldn't see it.

He nodded, taking the hand that wasn't holding the kitten.

"Yes. It won't even leave much of a scar. They're much easier to do, now, than they were even five years ago. And you already know the equipment here is top of the line."

If it wasn't before, Tony would have made sure it was by then – as often as it had been used on Peter.

"Yes."

There was a bit of a scuffle when they tried to separate Tony and Peter, who refused to loosen his grip on his hand, but before the toddler could work himself into a drug-hazed tantrum, Tony just leaned over and brushed his cheek against Peter's hand, causing the boy to automatically reach up and touch his facial hair.

"Daddy…" Peter whispered, again, closing his eyes and holding his palm flat against Tony's jaw.

"You're okay, honey," Tony crooned, caressing his hair. "We'll be right here when you're done."

The others waited, allowing Tony and Pepper to be the ones to keep Peter calmed until the narcotics being loaded into his system took effect, and only when the scared eyes finally closed, and the hand dropped to his side did either of them finally look up.

Stephen stepped up, then, waving for the medics to take charge of Peter.

"Don't worry," he said, again. "I'll scrub in, just to keep an eye on things."

"Thank you."

The gurney, the medics and the doctors all vanished into the small operating room, and Tony, Pepper and Natasha moved over to the very familiar waiting room.

"He's fine, guys," Romanoff said, settling herself into a chair to save the sofa for them.

"I know." Tony glanced over at Pepper, trying to make her lose the scared look in her eyes. He smiled, took her hand and kissed the palm before settling the two of them into the comfortable leather of the couch. "See what happens when you get too much fresh air?"

Pepper rolled her eyes at him, appreciating the irreverence.

"Or not enough, maybe?"

"Huh. Maybe."

OOOOOOO

"_Well, _that_ was interesting…"_

"_Huh?" He was having a little trouble concentrating._

"_Never mind. I don't understand the point of having an organ you don't _need_ – especially if it can go bad and attempt to kill you."_

"_What?"_

_There was gentle amusement._

"_Never mind," he was told, again. "Wake up, okay?"_

OOOOOO

He was suddenly aware of several things all at once.

A gentle beeping in his ear. A lot of light all around him. Someone holding his hand. Someone holding _both_ hands.

He opened his eyes, groggily, and looked up at the ceiling.

"Hey, there's my boy…"

Peter turned his head, expecting it to hurt and dully surprised when it didn't. He saw Tony sitting beside his bed. Holding his hand and looking worried.

_Dad…_

"Dad…"

Stark's expression softened and his grip tightened on Peter's hand.

"Hey. You did great."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

His gaze went to the other side of Peter, and the boy followed it and saw Pepper was there, as well, her hands holding his, too.

"Mom…"

He didn't need the internal prompt, this time. He was a little more awake, now.

"Hi, sweetheart."

"What happened?"

"What do you remember?"

"I… was talking to Nutmeg?"

"Yes. Probably." She smiled. "He was sleeping with you when we came to check on you, so that would make sense."

"I was sleepwalking?"

"No. Not this time," Tony told him, letting his hand go and moving over to the other side of the bed so Peter didn't have to try and divide his attention between the two sides of the bed. "Your appendix went bad on you. It was making you sick, so they took it out."

"Dr. Strange?"

"Not this time. It was Dr. Davidson. Stephen didn't want to risk practicing on you for his first appendectomy."

"He could wiggle his fingers…" Peter pointed out, making a motion with his free hand.

Both of them smiled at that, and Pepper shook her head.

"I don't think that magic works that way."

"You're okay?" Peter asked.

"We _are_," Tony said. "They say we need to let you get some sleep, so we're going to give Natasha a chance to check on you and then you're to get some rest."

"Okay." He closed his eyes, and then they popped open, immediately. "You'll be close by?"

"Of course."

"I love you."

Pepper sniffed, and leaned over, kissing his cheek, tenderly.

"We love you, too."


	11. Chapter 11

"How's he _doing_?"

There was no denying the concern in Steve's expression when he looked over at Natasha. Clint wore the same expression and Bruce just looked stunned.

"He's sleeping it off in recovery, right now," she replied. "But Stephen says he came through the surgery just fine.

"How long will he be down?"

"A couple of weeks for a full recovery, but he can be moved to his own room tomorrow."

"So much for him starting school on time," Bruce said.

"Better that he starts late than not _at all_," a new voice added, and they all looked up to see that Nick had joined them. Standing with him was Carol Danvers. "And really, I would be happier if he didn't start school until we have a handle on this Skrull thing. He's too exposed, being out in a public school like he is."

"What happened?" Danvers asked, curiously.

It wasn't hard to miss the concern on the expressions of those around the table, and Peter was the only who was in school, most likely.

"Peter came down with appendicitis last night," Steve explained. "They had to operate on him."

"Is he going to be alright?"

"Yeah," Clint said. "He's a tough guy."

"I still have _my_ appendix scar," Bruce said. "Almost died when I was a lot younger than Peter."

"Tony and Pepper are with him?" Fury asked.

"Pepper is," Natasha said. "Tony's walking up behind you."

Fury turned as Stark walk into the lounge, stop at the bar for a cup of coffee and to talk to the bartender – probably making a breakfast order to go, the former director of SHIELD decided – and then walk over to the table.

"How is he?" Steve asked.

"Sleeping."

"How are you doing?" Fury asked.

Tony shrugged.

"It wasn't that close," he said. "But it _felt_ close."

"Yeah."

"Do you need someone to spell you, watching him?" Clint offered.

"No. Not, yet. When he's moved to his room, yes. But right now, Pepper wants to stay close – in case he wakes up and doesn't know where he is."

"Not a good time to get caught up in a panic attack," Steve agreed.

"Right. Besides, he's been a bit out of it – even asleep. Weird dreams from the drugs, most likely."

The bartender called Tony's name, holding up a brown bag.

"Let us know if there's anything we can do," Fury told him.

"I will. Thanks." He didn't leave, immediately, however. "Friday's set up to watch for duplicates within range of her sensors. If you think of anything else that will help, call me or come talk to me. You know where I'll be."

They nodded, and he went back to the bar, still carrying his cup of coffee and now picking up a thermos as well as the paper bag, and left.

"So much for using Peter as an alien detector," Clint said, shaking his head. "Poor guy."

OOOOOOO

Pepper was sitting in the recovery room in a chair beside Peter's hospital bed. She was holding Nutmeg in her lap and a tablet in the hand that wasn't stroking the kitten, and she looked over when Tony entered the room, closing the door silently behind him to avoid waking Peter.

"Everything okay?" he asked, softly, walking over and glancing first at Peter, and then at her.

"Yes. Stephen returned to the sanctum a few minutes ago. He said to call him if we needed him, but he checked Peter before he left and said everything looks fine."

"I wonder if he and Wong have learned anything," Tony mused, setting the bag on the bed and opening the thermos to pour her a cup of coffee.

"I imagine he'll let you know as soon as he does."

She took the cup, giving Nutmeg over to Tony to free her hands. He set the kitten in a warm spot against Peter's side, and nodded.

"Yeah. Do you need a break? Anyone you need to call to tell them you're not coming in, today?"

They hadn't even discussed it, but it was a given that she'd want to stay at Peter's bedside with him.

"I took care of it," she assured him, taking a sip of the coffee. "My day is open for keeping him company – even if he doesn't know we're here, right now. You?"

"Busy day of being with the two people I love most."

"Ironpig and Nutmeg?"

He smirked and settle himself on the chair beside Peter's bed, rather than _on_ the bed, directly, figuring that he'd wait and sit there once Peter was awake enough to let them know if he wanted to be held, or of he was too sore to want the contact.

"Smart ass. Just for that, I'm going to tell him you wanted to go back to school shopping without him – to find some fly duds for him to wear."

"He knows better than that."

Stark shrugged, reaching into the bag for one of the sandwiches the kitchen had made and handing one to her.

"Mom's do weird things. _Everyone_ knows that."

OOOOOOOO

When Stephen Strange returned to the sanctum, he was greeted by a happy piece of heavy fabric that wrapped itself around him, briefly, before sliding to his collar. Strange frowned at that since when they were in the sanctum, the cloak tended to do whatever it wanted – and would usually only attach itself to his collar if there was a threat.

"How's Peter?" Wong asked, coming out of the kitchen.

"He's in recovery with mom and dad hovering over him."

"As it should be."

"Correct. What have you found? Anything?"

"No spell that I can find," he was told. "Not a way to force a shapeshifter to show his true form. However, I might have one that I can modify. I'll figure out the modification but without a shapeshifter to actually _use_ it on, there's not much I can do to test it."

"Any way to detect one?" Strange asked, moving his head to avoid the cloak's caresses.

"Still looking into it."

"Anything I can help with while I'm here?"

The other magician nodded.

"Plenty of library to work through, still."

OOOOOOOO

A throbbing ache in the middle of his stomach woke Peter from his sleep. He was restless, anyway; dreaming that he and Nutmeg were discussing how to protect the compound when he was stuck in his bed, hurting. When he opened his eyes, he saw Tony sitting by his bed, a cup of coffee in his hand and his other hand holding his tablet. The billionaire smiled when he saw Peter's eyes open and set both the tablet and the coffee aside.

"Hey. How do you feel?"

"My stomach hurts?"

"Inside?" Toy asked. "Or out?"

"Both. But mostly inside."

"How much?"

"A five…? Where's Pepper?"

"She had to go take a call," he explained. "We didn't want to disturb you while you were sleeping."

"I'm okay."

"I know." He brushed Peter's hair back, tenderly, and pressed the nurse call button to let them know Peter was awake. "We'll have someone take a look, okay?"

"Stephen?"

"I'll see if he's busy."

"Okay…" Peter blinked a couple of times, clearly trying to clear his fog-clouded mind."

"Nutmeg had an idea for testing people on their true identities…"

Tony frowned.

"_Nutmeg_ did, huh?"

"Yeah. There's a spell," he said, wincing when he got excited and moved a little more than he should have. "I was thinking I'd ask Stephen about it, to see if he knew the spell."

"What?"

"A spell," Peter repeated. "A way to know what's underneath the surface."

"Of _people_?"

"Yeah."

"And you got the idea from _Nutmeg_?"

"Yeah. I think so…"

The boy looked confused and Tony got up to lean over him, reassuring him since he looked a little confused.

"We'll see if he's around so you can talk to him, son. It's okay."

"Thanks."


	12. Chapter 12

Despite the fact that he'd only been in the library for a few hours when the call came in from the compound, Strange didn't mind going back. He could hear a little uncertainty in Tony's voice when Stark had called him, asking him to come check on Peter, and it wasn't like he had to drive all the way out there, after all.

"You don't mind?" he asked Wong, who shook his head.

"No. If he's having a setback, it's better to catch it before it becomes a problem."

"He shouldn't be having any problems," Stephen said. "I saw the scans after the surgery. Everything went perfect. There was no sign of infection or fever, either."

"Then it shouldn't be a long visit," the other magician said. He wasn't too concerned about being abandoned to his research. "I'll finish this book and start another."

"I won't be long." He looked at the cloak by simply turning his head. "Are you coming to visit Peter?"

When it didn't displace itself from his collar, the doctor assumed that meant it wanted to go. A moment later he was gone from the sanctum library and was against a wall in Peter's living room.

The place was empty, but he heard the TV in the bedroom running, so he turned that direction. The cloak was well ahead of him. The ancient relic released its hold on his collar and swept into Peter's room, followed by Strange, who entered at a much more sedate pace. When he walked in, he saw Peter in the bed, propped up by pillows and somewhat on his side, talking to Tony as well as he could, since the heavy fabric was all over him, rubbing his ears and cuddling up to Nutmeg, as well.

The kitten wasn't impressed, Strange saw, amused. The little furry body was poofed up to prove he was a tough guy, and the tail was straight up and poofy as well. Nutmeg was trying to find a way out of the cloth that was wrapped around him, as well, but the moving fabric was pretty good at keeping him where he was.

"Stephen," Tony said from his spot beside Peter's bed. "Do you have any Xanax?"

"For Peter?"

"For your cloak."

The magician smiled.

"I'm afraid not." He reached out and ran his hand along Peter's forehead. "You're not running a fever," he told the boy. "How do you feel?"

"I'm okay," was the answer. "A little sore."

"Yes, that's to be expected. How much pain?"

"A five?"

Strange gently ran his fingers along the boy's stomach, near the bandages, avoiding the cloak when he could and smiling despite himself at the way the cloak was treating the kitten.

"Five isn't too bad, really," he said – more to Tony than to Peter. "It hasn't been that long, really."

"He's been having some interesting dreams," Stark added, reaching over and taking Nutmeg from the middle of the cloak's embrace. "Is that normal?"

"Like what?"

"He told me that Nutmeg here was talking to him – and that he suggested a spell that might work with our skrull problem."

Strange couldn't help his response. He raised an eyebrow at looked at the boy.

"Nutmeg is talking to you?"

"Yeah. I mean, no. In my _dreams_, he is. A voice is, anyway."

"The Mind stone?"

"No. The Mind stone doesn't talk to me like that. It generally sends images, or thoughts and sometimes emotions. This is a voice. A guy's voice, so it's not the bald woman."

"You're hearing voices in your head?" Strange asked, looking just a little concerned.

"Not voices," Peter corrected. "A voice."

Tony looked at the doctor.

"Could it be the medication he's on?"

"It _could_," Stephen said, frowning. "But it's unlikely Nothing we're giving him should be making him delusional."

"I'm not making it up," Peter said, a spark of annoyance in his tone and expression. "I _heard_ him."

Both men were quick to reassure, and the cloak left off its kitten wrangling for a moment to caress his ear and hum a lullaby into his mind, soothing.

"No. I believe you, Peter," Strange told him. "You're not the sort to make something like this up – and you wouldn't have any reason to. Why don't you try to get some rest, though? The more sleep you get, the faster you'll heal."

Tony ran his hand along the boy's forehead, but he wasn't fevered. He smiled down at Peter.

"Mom's going to be back soon, buddy. Get some sleep so we can tell her you rested."

He stayed where he was; now sitting on the edge of the bed, and he silently brushed his fingertips against Peter's cheek, watching as the boy's eyes closed in response to not only Tony's touch but that of the cloak – and the contented humming that he was hearing in the back of his mind. Peter was almost asleep – he was too medicated and too tired to resist the double-sided assault on his senses – when his eyes opened, again, suddenly. He didn't look panicked but his gaze found Stephen's without lifting his head off the pillow.

"Nutmeg said to ask you about the Panzer Alrad and if it might be applicable in this case…"

He closed his eyes, again, message delivered and let himself drift to sleep with Tony still caressing him, lightly. It was only a few minutes before Tony left off, leaving the cloak to cuddle with the boy – and the cat and turning to Strange.

"See?"

"Yes. That's odd. He's not exhibiting any classic signs of interactions with his medications but obviously something is going on."

"What do we do about it?"

"Nothing, right now. We want him on the medications, so we'll deal with the side effects. He's not becoming violent or physical so we can live with the delusions, for now. The drug regime shouldn't be for more than a couple of days."

"He's hearing his cat talking to him, Stephen," Tony reminded him.

"I heard, Tony. It's fine. Relax, alright? If I had to guess, I'd say it _is_ the Mind stone, and Peter's just too out of it to recognize it."

"What's the Panzer Alred?" Stark asked, curiously.

"No clue," Strange admitted. "But, if it's a hint from the Mind stone, then I'm going to look it up – or see if Wong has heard of it."

"You're leaving, then?"

"He's fine," Strange assured him. "If you need anything, or if he wakes up does, you know you can call me."

The cloak carefully unwrapped itself from Peter and the kitten that was now sleeping on the boy's chest and drifted over to the sorcerer, attaching itself to his collar. A moment later, Strange was gone and Tony watched Peter sleep for a few long minutes before he settled himself into his chair, once more.

OOOOOO

"_You're not delusional."_

"_I know."_

"_But you _are_ wrong."_

"_What?" There was a moment of consternation. "Wrong about _what_?"_

"_I'm _not_ the cat."_

"_What?"_

"_Nutmeg," the voice said. "He and I are separate individuals."_

"_You _are_?"_

"_Yes. He's too crazy to be me."_

"_But…" There was a long pause while the boy's agile mind went back to the conversations that he could remember. "But. You're connected."_

"_Oh, yes. Incontrovertibly so. _Forever_."_

"_I don't understand."_

_There was a brief and gentle surge of amusement – and maybe a little chagrin._

"_The rule is a soul for a soul, Peter. I don't know if you knew that, or not, but even if the stone agrees to release someone, the rule never changes. I needed a way to meet you, and the kitten was lost in the storm. It couldn't have worked out better. Even for _him_," the voice was quick to add. "He's safe – forever – and much fussed over."_

"_I still don't understand," Peter admitted._

_More amusement._

"_It's complicated and you're distracted by too many other things to try to explain it, really. Just rest, alright? We can discuss it later – when you're better."_

"_So what do I call you, then?"_

"_My people don't have names, Peter. We're connected to each other mentally and don't need identifying monikers."_

"_Still…"_

_There was a brief pause, more gentle amusement and if a voice could shrug, this one most certainly did._

"_Call me Alec. Now go to sleep."_

_The boy had no choice but to agree. He was tired, after all, and while he loved a puzzle as much as anyone – and more than many – he wasn't in any state of mind to concentrate on anything, just then._

OOOOOOO

"How is he?"

"Sleeping. I had Stephen come look him over – just to make sure."

Pepper wasn't surprised.

"What did he say?"

"Everything looks good, Pep," he told her, watching as she leaned over and brushed a tender kiss against the sleeping boy's cheek. "He's recovering like a champ."

"Good." She kissed him, then, and ran her fingers through his hair. "You look tired."

"I am," he admitted.

"Then either go to bed, or join Peter in his, and get some sleep so you'll be more awake when he wakes up and needs daddy to spend time with him."

Tony didn't even argue, and he didn't leave – not surprisingly.

"Good idea…"

He kissed her, again, and moved himself to the other side of Peter's bed and settled himself beside the boy and fell asleep almost immediately. Pepper watched, and then turned her attention back to Peter, her fingers once more brushing against him. He roused, but only for the briefest of moments, and his eyes never opened before he was asleep once more.

"Sleep, sweetheart," she crooned, gently. "Mommy and daddy are here…"


	13. Chapter 13

"That didn't take long," Wong said when the cloak flew into the library followed by Strange only a moment later. "How's Peter?"

"He's fine. Or at least no worse than he _was_."

"False alarm from a nervous first time father?"

"No. He was worried about Peter being delirious and there's no doubt that he had good reason to be."

"Oh?"

"The boy told Tony and me that Nutmeg had a suggestion about finding a shape-shifter before they became a problem."

Wong frowned, putting down the book he was reading.

"_Nutmeg_ told him?"

"That's what he said. Before I make a final decision, did the kitten ever talk to you?"

"No."

"He hasn't to me, either. Peter sounded pretty certain of it – but he's also heavily _medicated_, so I'm going to assume that it could be the Mind stone. Have you ever heard of Panzer Alrad?"

The other man hesitated.

"That sounds familiar. What is it?"

"Peter says Nutmeg told him to ask me about it, that it might be applicable. I'm not sure beyond that."

"Because all cats know about the best ways to unmask a shape shifter…"

Strange snorted, softly, amused.

"Apparently."

"Well the word is alien – despite Panzer also being heard on Earth, and I think it's relating to the mind. If I had to guess, I'd say Lit'en Ma'r system." He stood up and walked over to the back of the room for a moment and returned with three oddly bound books and a scroll. He handed two books to Stephen as he sat down, again. "There are only two inhabited planets in the system and they're both ancient. There were several others, but they died out or moved on – no one knows which. These are the only writings that we know about them. We can see if there's anything in them and work our way out if need be."

Never one to shirk from research, Stephen nodded and opened the first book.

OOOOOOO

"How is he doing?"

The gentle voice startled Pepper and she almost dropped her tablet. She immediately looked at Peter – who as still asleep with Tony curled up beside him, also asleep – and then looked up at Steve, who had entered the boy's room without her hearing him. Just behind him was Carol Danvers.

"He's sleeping," she said somewhat unnecessarily. "Stephen checked in with him a short time ago and Dr. Davidson was just by. Everything looks good. Or they wouldn't have had him moved into his room."

"And how are _you_ doing?" he asked, walking over to look down at Peter and Tony and reaching down to pluck Nutmeg from the boy's chest so he could cuddle the kitten.

Pepper smiled, thinking that Steve really was a natural leader. Pepper wasn't an Avenger and neither was Peter, but both had been claimed by him when they moved to the compound – even before it was full time – and Steve made it a point to keep tabs on their welfare.

"I'm fine," she assured him.

"You look tired. Need a break?"

"No. Thank you." If she trusted anyone to be with Peter it would be one of the others, but she wasn't that tired, and she was getting work done, even while sitting beside Peter's bed. "If I'm tired when Tony wakes up, I'll trade him spots." She didn't mention – she didn't _need_ to mention – that they wanted someone with Peter if he woke, to reassure him, or to get him something and avoid allowing him to try to get it himself. "What are _you_ doing?"

"I'm going to drive Carol into the city," he said looking over at the blonde woman. "She needs some clothes if she's going to be sticking around – and while she can certainly drive herself…"

He shrugged and Carol smiled.

"I haven't been in New York for a long time," she admitted, reaching out to pet the kitten Steve was holding. "Having someone who knows the way drive me in seemed like the best plan. Not to mention he can show me where the battle took place."

Pepper wasn't surprised that Danvers was interested in seeing that, as well. There had been a lot of clean up in the affected areas, but a lot of damage still showed. It'd take a long time to repair everything, even with the help the city had.

"Well, no one better to show you than Steve," she said, reaching up so Rogers could hand her the kitten – which he did. "Drive safe."

He rolled his eyes, thinking that maybe she had taken on mommy duties for all of them. Of course, that wasn't such a bad thing.

"We will. Need anything while I'm there?"

"Bring Peter a surprise," she requested, aware that he might have been planning to that, anyway. "He'll need a pick me up once he's awake enough to be aware of the fact that he's stuck in bed. Not to mention the pain…"

"Will do." He turned to Carol. "Ready?"

She nodded and they left. Pepper pressed her face against the kitten's soft fur for a long moment before settling him in the small space created between Tony and Peter. Then she reached for the Ironman doll so cherished by the toddler and tucked that into the crook of the boy's arm, straightening the bedding a little before settling back in her chair and picking up her tablet, once more.

OOOOOOO

"_Your friends and family are certainly _cuddlers_, aren't they?" _

_There wasn't any reproach in the statement; mostly amusement._

"_What?" Asleep like he was it took him a minute to figure out what Alec meant. "Oh. Yeah. I think they always _have_ been, but now they have an outlet for it that won't let the others tease them for it."_

"_Right. First you. Then Jack. Now Ironpig and Nutmeg."_

"_Right. Clint's the only one with any kids – or any real family."_

"_And he's the _least_ gentle with you."_

_Amusement._

"_Yeah. I like it."_

OOOOOOO

"There. That couldn't work out better for us, really. Do you see?"

"I _see_. Don't bother me right now."

"How do you want to do this?"

"We wait for them to leave and take their identities. Then we find Fury. _He_ will know where the stone is."

"Which one do you want to sim?"

The leader scowled.

"Don't call it _that_, Kar. It's _morphing_."

"It's what everyone _else_ calls it, Cayn."

"I don't like it. It sounds perverted."

The one named Kar shrugged, annoyed.

"Fine. Do you have a preference on which one you _morph_?"

"The male," came the immediate response. "I hate dealing with the hormones in females."

"I like the _breasts_," the other replied.

"You're disgusting."

"They've cleared the security barrier. Can we go?"

"No. We don't want to draw too much suspicion of having an immediate return. A bit more of a wait won't kill us. And _not_ waiting long enough might," he added.

"You're so dramatic, sometimes."

"It's kept me alive this long. It'll keep you alive, as well." There was an indelicate snort – a decidedly feminine one – and the leader turned in his seat and saw a blonde human woman now sitting beside him in the vehicle that they'd purchased only that morning. "Ugh. That's _ghastly_."

Kar shrugged, smirked, and then pulled his shirt out to look down, under it.

"I'm okay with it."


	14. Chapter 14

"Good morning…"

Tony smiled, sleepily, over Peter's quiet form at Pepper, who was watching him. He stretched, carefully, to avoid jostling their son, glanced at his watch to make sure it wasn't, _really_, morning, and then slid out of his bed and walked around to the other side so he could brush a kiss against her cheek.

"Good afternoon. Did he wake?"

"Not for long," she reported, thinking that he looked better for having had some sleep. "People have been in and out, checking on him."

"Davidson?"

"Yes. And Natasha, and Clint, Bruce, Nick and Steve – who took Carol into the city to get some clothes."

"She must be planning on _staying_ for a while, then," he said, sitting on the arm of her chair, and putting an arm around her, rather than sitting on Peter's bed. The more sleep the boy got the better. "Did Stephen come by?"

"No. I didn't see him."

He rubbed her back, feeling tenseness in her shoulders that told him she needed to get up and move around a little.

"I'll watch him, honey," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Why don't you take a break?"

Pepper didn't argue with him.

"Are you hungry?"

"I could be talked into something."

"I'll be back in a while – and I'll bring _lunch_."

"Thank you."

"If he wakes and needs me-"

"I'll call you."

She got up, stretching, and he took advantage of the position to bring her up close to him, wrapping his arms around her and pressing his face into her stomach – one of his comfort positions, she knew. Pepper pulled him against her, sliding her fingers through his hair, lovingly.

"_You_ need a haircut, too, Tony," she murmured.

"Yes, dear."

His words were muffled by her blouse, but she had no trouble understanding what he was saying.

"I _mean_ it," she told him, smiling. "I didn't sign up to marry a hippie. When Peter's on his feet, you're both off to the barber – or I'll set you in chairs and put bowls on your head and do it myself."

"You're a tough woman. Has anyone ever told you that?"

Pepper nodded, even though he couldn't see.

"A time or two."

He pulled back, looking up at her, and his eyes were holding that look that was hers and hers, alone. It was warning enough that he was going to say something incredibly sweet – or something that would make her roll her eyes and want to pop him one.

"And a wonderful wife and mother."

Pepper's expression softened, and she leaned down and kissed him.

"You guys make it easy."

"Right. Because two superheroes is as easy as it gets…"

"No one is cheating on me, or coming home in the middle of the night drunk after sneaking out…"

He smiled.

"Good point."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Pep. Thanks."

"Call me if _you_ need anything, too."

"I will."

She left and Tony reached over and plucked Nutmeg off of Peter's chest, then leaned back in the chair and set the kitten right above the housing for his nanites, the fingers of both hands stroking the kitten's face, pressing the fuzzy fur back and smiling down.

"You're cute, little man…" he murmured, softly, to avoid waking Peter. He wanted him to sleep a little longer before he woke, again. "But if you're talking to Peter in his head, do me a favor and remind him that mom's birthday is coming up and we haven't come up with something epic for her, yet. Will ya?" He leaned over and pressed his bearded chin against the kitten, who was purring so loudly he was sure to wake Peter up, after all. "And tell him I love him."

OOOOOOO

"Gah…"

"What?"

"This one is ridiculous."

"What do you mean? He's well-proportioned."

"He's too _noble_. It makes my head hurt."

There was an amused snort, indelicate coming from the blonde in the seat beside him.

"_You_ wanted to be him."

They pulled the car up to the front of the facility, both pleased that they didn't meet anyone as they stopped it in front of what Cayn knew from Roger's memories was the main entrance.

"Fury was in the lounge, last this one saw him," Cayn said as they got out of the car. "Let's go see what we can learn from him."

"Try to act naturally," Kar reminded him. "He's not going to react well to being interrogated by his own people."

"I'm not stupid."

They walked into the door, looking around and relying on the memories they could access of the two they were impersonating. It didn't do Kar much good; Danvers was new to the compound – as it was called. Luckily, Steve Rogers knew the place well. They both knew where to find the lounge, however, and walked unerringly to it.

"Back so soon?"

They stopped at the friendly query, both turning.

"Yes." Cayn spoke up, automatically taking the lead. "Carol forgot her… _wallet_."

Clint frowned, looking at Danvers.

"You've been carrying a wallet in _space_?"

The blonde woman gave a casual shrug.

"Never know when you might need it, right?"

Kar didn't know what a wallet was. Apparently, Danvers hadn't needed to think about one for the last two years. It must have been the right thing to say, though, because the archer smiled, amused. As the Skrull had hoped he would be.

"True enough."

Steve rolled his eyes.

"_Women_. Am I right?"

"Uh. _Sure_…?"

"We'd better go find my wallet," Danvers said, quickly, pushing an elbow into Rogers' side, making him scowl and rub his ribcage. "Come on, Steve."

"Yes. Right. See you, Clint."

"Yeah."

The two continued walking down the corridor and Hawkeye frowned, watching them go.

"That was _smooth_," Kar scolded. "_Forgot my wallet?_ What the-"

"It was the only thing I could think of, Kar. Keep your hands off me, next time. You hit _hard_ in that form."

"Don't be such a child."

"I'm-" he went silent as a couple of men dressed in obvious military outfits walked toward them, nodded a greeting to them both and then kept going. "Apparently I'm a leader in this form. That's going to be helpful."

"Yes. If you can pull it off. Humans are so unpredictable."

"They're _simple_, that's all. You'll see."

"Don't underestimate Fury," he was reminded – again.

Fury was a legend to the Skrull. They'd heard much about the man – and just how clever and dangerous he could be.

"I'm not."

They walked into the lounge, then, looking around, but didn't see anyone but the bartender. Steve walked over and flashed her a smile.

"Deena? Any idea where Fury is?"

"He mentioned going to check on Peter, and then going to his office."

"Peter…"

There was suddenly an odd look on her face – a reaction to the really odd look on Rogers'.

"You alright, Steve?" she asked.

When he didn't answer, the blonde woman jabbed him with another elbow, pulling his attention from whatever he was thinking, and he scowled at Danvers, and then nodded, realizing what had been asked.

"Yes, Deena. Fine." He grabbed Danvers by the elbow, roughly, and turned. "We will talk to you, later. Please, excuse us."

"What are you _doing_?" Kar hissed, trying to jerk his arm free and finding the grip impossible. "We need to find Fury."

"No. _Fury_ isn't the one we need," Cayn said, softly. "This Peter Parker is."

"What?" Kar had access to the memories of Danvers, but he had to have something said to trigger them. A question, or a look, or a word – something to make him think of who Peter Parker was. What came up was an image of a young human male – unassuming, aside from the fact that he'd somehow managed to blast Danvers back with a motion, earlier. "Why? He seems to have some kind of wild talent but-"

"Peter Parker knows about _the_ stones," Cayn interrupted. "He speaks to them – and they speak to him. He's the one we need."


	15. Chapter 15

Tony was still cuddling with Nutmeg when the call came into his cell phone. He made sure the kitten wasn't going to slide off his chest and frowned when he pulled the phone out and saw the name on the caller ID. Not someone who ever called him, when a simple connection through their watches usually worked just fine.

"Clint? What's up?"

_"Are you with Peter?"_

"Yes."

_"Have you seen Steve and Danvers, recently?"_

"No. Why?"

_"Let's just say I saw something I didn't like. Do me a favor and check something out – and don't do anything over our communications network – just in case I'm right."_

Instantly alert, Tony sat upright and set Nutmeg on Peter's chest to free his hands.

"What am I checking?"

OOOOOOO

"_I need you to wake up."_

"_I'm _sleepy_."_

"_I know. _Heavily medicated_, too, but it can't be helped. Something's happening, and I can't help if you're not awake and watching."_

"_What? Why not?"_

"_Because I'm bonded to _you_. I see what you see and can communicate with you this way."_

"_But not the others?"_

"_Nope. I can get into their minds and make certain they're not these shapeshifters, but I can't talk to them the same way I can with you. If they were Mx I could."_

_Peter didn't recognize the word._

"_What?"_

"_Mx. It's… well, it's _complicated_, since I don't know how you'd pronounce it – it's what my people call themselves. _Called_ themselves. They have been gone a long time, now."_

"All_ of them?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Where are you from?"_

"_We'll discuss that later," he replied, and Peter felt something soft swatting at his face, tapping his nose. "I need you awake, now. Come on."_

_He groaned, but did as he was told, forcing his mind to overcome the exhaustion and medication that was coursing through him, just then._

OOOOOOOO

Because Steve Rogers knew where Peter's quarters were – only two doors down from his own – _Cayn_ knew where they were, as well. They didn't go there, immediately, though, and they didn't rush through the corridors. For one thing, _Rogers_ didn't have any reason to hurry, and if he _did_ look like he was up to something – even something official – it would draw attention to them and maybe make someone ask what was going on.

Which they didn't want, of course.

The other reason they didn't hurry was because they wanted to look around and double check how many security people were in the area, and get an idea of how best they wanted to take the boy from the compound once they had control of him. Because they had to take him with them. Had to have him under their control. In order to know what he knew. Lar didn't know what he knew, really, but Cayn most certainly did, and he wanted Peter Parker.

_Desperately._

"We might not actually be able to _take_ him, this time," he murmured to his partner as they noticed the security cameras that were everywhere, as well as other sensors their own equipment was picking up. Some kind of localized trackers, but they didn't understand the signatures that were being tracked as both were animals. "It might be that we just get a look at him, locate him, and some of those guarding him. Then we can come back this evening and take one of their forms to convince him to leave this place with us."

"On what grounds?" Kar asked, skeptically.

"We'll take him for a corndog. This one has done it, before, with him."

Even Danvers knew what a corndog was, apparently. But the image that was brought to mind looked disgusting and the Skrull had to force the expression on the human face he wore not to look nauseated.

"Fine." They turned the final corner to the corridor that led to the boy's quarters, now, and moved down the hall. "But I'm not eating-"

Both of them stopped, suddenly, when they opened the door to the rooms that Cayn knew belonged to Peter, the conversation dying on their tongues. Standing in the middle of the room, was a figure encased in what looked like metal. One hand was raised, palm out, pointing directly at them, and even though there wasn't a weapon in the hand, both of them had the memories to know that the weapon was on the hand, and that the glow meant it was activated.

Standing beside the form – Ironman, they both knew – was another person. This one was a woman, with red hair and a dark leather uniform. Natasha Romanoff was holding a weapon in her hands. She was holding one in each, and while Danvers' memories didn't come up with much information on her, Steve Rogers' did, and Cayne knew they had a problem.

He immediately tried bluffing his way out of it.

"Tony? What the hell? Don't point that at me."

"Cap?" the form asked, metallically.

"Of course. What are you doing?"

"What are _you_ doing?" Ironman asked, not lowering his hand.

"We just came to check on Peter. Like we are fond of doing whenever he isn't feeling good. Like when he was shot. Or when he was sick. Or-"

"I thought you were going into the city?" Natasha interrupted.

"I forgot my wallet," Danvers/Kar said. "We had to come back."

"In a different _car_?"

Oops.

Cayn lifted his hands.

"Relax, Tony. Nat. You guys are just being paranoid because of this whole Skrull thing. Whatever you've been told, you're wrong. It's me. _Steve_."

"And _me_; Carol," Kar added, helpfully.

"Ask me anything," Cayn challenged. "Something only I would know."

The door to the next room opened, and another man walked out, also dressed in black leather. This one was holding a bow, of all things.

"Yeah?" Natasha said, not acknowledging the arrival of Barton – who closed the door behind him. "In five words tell us what happened in Budapest."

"Clint…" Cayn said, racking Steve Rogers' memory, trying to find _any_ reference to Budapest and coming up short. "What's going on? Tell them we're really _us_."

"Well, that's the problem, isn't it?" Clint said. "Because I'm not convinced you _are_."

"You just _saw_ us," Cayn reminded him, trying to act confused and annoyed at the same time, but really feeling just a little sick. "We're us."

"Answer the question," Clint told him. "What happened in Budapest? You can use the Clift notes. It was many years ago, and if we understand things right, if you're not really _you_, then you're not going to know."

"We had a mission," Cayn guessed.

Natasha rolled her eyes.

_"And…?"_

They were all interrupted when the door opened and another person walked out, coming to stand behind Clint, and staying well away from the two unknowns. Peter was wearing only sweats and a t-shirt, his face pale and tired and, crazily, his kitten crouched on his shoulder, watching the room – and apparently, everyone in it.

Tony frowned behind the mask, which vanished in an instant – his hand still pointed at the two, but his attention now diverted. Natasha's wasn't, though, and both of the Skrull knew it and didn't move.

"Peter. What are you-"

"They're not Steve and Captain Danvers," Peter told him, looking at him, and then over to the two.

"_Bullshit_," Steve said, indignantly. "Of course, we are."

"He's telling-"

They were interrupted when Peter suddenly turned his head to look at the kitten on his shoulder and frown. Then he shrugged and brought his hands up.

"Move, guys…"

Clint took several steps sideways, almost immediately, and Natasha did, as well. Tony hesitated, his expression almost as annoyed as Steve's, but he moved, too, his hand still pointed at Steve and Danvers.

Steve brought his hands up, looking at Peter – well aware that the boy was capable of doing a lot of damage.

"Let's not be hasty, Peter. Don't-"

Before the words were out, Peter moved, throwing his right hand forward. A wave of green light erupted toward the Skrull, who were both thrown backward, tumbling to the floor and slamming back against the door – and the wall.

"Sonofabitch!"

Clint had known they weren't really Steve and Danvers. Almost a hundred percent certain. Not certain enough that he was going to shoot either of them, though. Peter had looked pretty sure, however, and hadn't hesitated.

And from the looks of it, he'd been right, because the two forms on the floor suddenly changed, even as they were watching. Steve's uniform was suddenly a gray and green – as was Danvers'. Even crazier, though, the two went from blonde and pale to suddenly green and scaly. Pointed ears, and all. The two sighed, looking at each other and frowning, because they both tried to transform and found themselves incapable of doing so.

Peter sagged against the wall, holding his side, which was killing him, but looking as impressed as he was exhausted.

"What was that?" Tony asked, shocked at the sudden attack – and the crazy aliens that were suddenly in his son's living room.

"_Panzer Alrad_," Peter said. "_Nutmeg_ suggested it."

"What does it do?" Natasha asked, ignoring the way he phrased it.

"It'll stop them from being able to change their shape," the boy told her.

"Permanently?" Clint asked, looking at the aliens, amazed.

"Yeah. Nutmeg says it is."


	16. Chapter 16

One of the lizard-looking people got to its – his? – feet almost immediately, evidently not injured by the spell that Peter had tossed at them.

"What do you mean, _permanently_?" it – _he_? asked.

Tony's hand tracked it.

"Settle down, now. Clint? Help Peter back to his bed, please, before he collapses."

Even though he'd been watching the aliens, Tony was also hyper-alert about keeping track of Peter. It was second nature by now. He hadn't missed the way the boy was listing - and they didn't want him in harm's way, if they could avoid it.

"Yeah." Clint's bow was in his left hand, his right coming up under Peter's elbow to support him. "Come on, Peter Pony; you look beat…"

He was.

Tony watched out of his peripheral vision as Clint helped Peter back into the bedroom, but was somewhat surprised that Nutmeg hopped off the boy's shoulder and jumped up onto his cat tree, where he could apparently watch everything going on around him.

"Karen? Call Stephen, please? Ask him and Wong to join us – tell him to materialize out in the hallway, though."

"_Of course."_

Peter's room was one of the few places that Tony didn't have direct access to Friday in the compound. The other Avengers' rooms being off-limits, as well. But he had access to Karen, so he didn't need to reactivate his helmet to make the request of his own AI. Karen wasn't _his_, but he'd created her, and she'd respond to him.

"Also tell Steve and Carol that it should be safe for them to return to the compound. Thank you."

"And _Pepper_," Natasha added, still training her weapons on the skrull.

"Yeah. Thanks. Karen? Tell _Nick_ it's clear, too – as far as we know."

"Should we just interrogate them, now?" Romanoff asked, glancing at Tony. "We need to know how many more there are."

"Let's wait for Stephen. I want to talk to _Peter_, too." He looked at the kitten, who was simply sprawled on the padded ledge, gnawing on a feather chewed off of a toy. "This is crazy."

"We're not telling you anything," one of the skrull said, crossing its arms across its chest, defiantly.

"We'll _see_," Natasha replied, darkly.

Before she could comment about making certain the aliens weren't armed – and she was sure they _were_ but that she and Tony could handle them – the door to Peter's living room opened and Stephen walked in, cloak attached to his collar and Wong right behind him. Both sorcerers took in the sight of Tony and Natasha holding weapons on two aliens and made sure to stay out of the line of fire for either.

"That didn't take long," Strange said, studying the skrull with interest as he and Wong went over to stand by the sofa. "Where did they come from?"

"Came looking for Peter pretending to be Steve and Danvers," Tony answered. "Natasha? Check them for weapons, will you? Or any communication devices that might be used against us. We don't want any of their buddies trying anything until we're ready for them."

"They turned back to their regular forms?" Wong asked.

"Peter came out and threw a lot of green light at them," Tony said, watching as Romanoff searched both aliens, taking what might have been weapons or communication decides, but were… well, _alien_… enough, that they might have been _canteens_ for all they knew. He'd look later. "They went flying, hit the wall and turned back into themselves."

"Peter cast a spell?" Stephen repeated.

"He said it was that Panzer Alrad he told you about – and that _Nutmeg_ had suggested it." Tony rolled his eyes. "Clint's with him, now, but if you'd make sure he didn't hurt himself, I'd –"

"What _is_ this?" the skrull that had spoken before interrupted. "What have you done to me? To _us_?"

"We didn't do anything," Tony answered.

"_Yet_," Natasha added.

The alien looked down at its hands, focusing, and then scowled – but looked a little frightened, too, Tony decided.

"I can't – what did you _do_?"

"We-"

"Tony," Strange interrupted, smoothly. "Let me." Without waiting, he spoke directly to the creature standing by the wall. "What's wrong?"

"I can't morph."

"You can't change your shape, you mean?" the doctor clarified.

"Yes." He looked at Stark. "How did you do that?"

"Let's get some restraints on them," Romanoff suggested, ever practical where Strange was curious. "I'd rather keep my prisoners where I want them."

"Yes." A couple of sets of shackles appeared in the magician's hands and he gave one to Natasha before looking at Wong. "Keep an eye on them?"

"Of course."

Tony kept his hand raised, and Wong's went up, as Stephen watched Natasha restrain the more vocal alien, and then he mirrored the action with the other.

"Do you have names?" he asked, as Romanoff brought them over to sit them on the sofa, for now.

"No. We all answer to _hey you_," came the sarcastic response.

"Someone's in a pissy mood," Wong said, not missing the sarcasm.

Natasha smiled.

"They got caught. That's enough to make anyone pout."

"What happened?" Stephen asked.

"Steve took Captain Danvers into the city, and these two must have been waiting for the opportunity because less than an hour later, Carol and Steve are back – acting just out of character enough that it made Clint suspicious. He asked me to look into it. So I had Friday check and amazingly enough, they looked just like them, but were driving a different car than they'd left in. Which made me call Natasha and Nick. Natasha to join me, here, and Nick to make sure Pepper was safe until we contained them."

"Are we sure they're the only two who are here?"

"No. And I'd ask them, but I couldn't really believe their responses, can I?"

"I wouldn't," Natasha said. "Call Wanda. She can come get into their heads, probably."

"They're _aliens_."

"She got into _Thor's_. He's not exactly _human_, now, is he?"

"Good point." Tony conceded. "I'm going to check on Peter and make a call. You'll watch these guys?"

"Of course."

"I'll go with you," Strange added, wanting to check on Peter and see what the boy could tell him about the spell he supposedly used.

"I'll stay with our visitors," Wong said, unwilling to leave Natasha alone with two aliens. He had a lot of respect for her, but knew anything could happen – and wanted her to have backup. "Just in case they want to make a nuisance of themselves."

Natasha smirked, moving over to the cat tree and reaching up for Nutmeg, who purred as she drew him into her arms and started stroking him, affecting a relaxed attitude that was far from how she truly felt. It was a good way to throw an enemy off guard, though, and she knew that.

Tony nodded and went into Peter's bedroom, followed by Strange, who closed the door behind them.

Clint looked up from where he was sitting on the edge of Peter's bed. The boy looked as well, although he didn't lift his head from the pillow it was resting on. He was worn out from being woken, forced from his bed by a nagging chinwagger _I heard that_, and then casting a fairly potent spell. Not to mention his stomach was killing him, since the medication had stopped working the more aware of his surroundings he'd become. He was _awake_, though, and smiled weakly when Tony took Clint's spot on his bed and the cloak detached from Strange's collar long enough to rub against the boy, before returning to the sorcerer in case something happened and it was needed.

"Did you get them?"

"Yeah." Tony brushed his hands along his cheek, worried at how pale his boy looked. Pepper was going to panic, he knew, if she saw him like that. "How do you feel? Are you _hurting_?"

"No. I'm okay. Just tired."

"How did you know they were coming?"

"I _didn't_," he said. "Nutmeg woke me."

"_Nutmeg_?" Clint repeated, frowning.

"He knew they weren't Steve and Captain Danvers," Peter said, looking at Strange and Clint, and then at Tony. "He told me-"

"_Nutmeg_?" Clint interrupted. "Your _kitten_?"

"Well, yeah," Peter explained. "But he's really _Alec_. Nutmeg is-"

"Wait. Who?" Tony asked, confused. "_Alec_?"

"That's what _he_ said to call him. He said I couldn't pronounce his real name. His people are dead and have been a long time."

Peter closed his eyes, but Stephen wasn't going to let that pass without asking more questions.

"Alec is in your head?" he asked. "Talking to you in your mind?"

"Yeah."

"Where did he come from?"

"I…" Peter opened his eyes, because he hadn't known until just then. And it wasn't Alec who told him, it was the Mind stone. "The soul stone."

"_I _would _have told you",_ came the amused voice. _"We just haven't had much chance to get to know each other, yet. You're hurting, and it's better to let you rest and talk later."_

"Peter," Stephen said. "Did this Alec tell you _why_ he's here? Is it because of the Skrulls?"

"I don't think so."

"_Definitely not. They're just something to be dealt with before I can do what I'm really here for."_

"_Fixing me?"_

"_You're not broken."_

"_You said I was."_

"_You're _damaged_, through no fault of your own. I'm going to help you with that. But not right now_."

"So there really _is_ someone in your head?" Tony asked, concerned. "An actual _voice_?"

"Yeah."

"Your cat?" Clint asked.

"Yeah. But, no."

Tony rolled his eyes and Strange smiled at the look, despite the topic of conversation.

"This… entity…" he said, his eyes suddenly narrowing. "Is Alec a sorcerer? A magic user?"

"_Are you?"_

"_I _was_."_

"He was."

Something else flashed through his mind, though, and Peter sat up, so surprised that he startled everyone else, too.

"Seriously?"

"What?" Tony asked, concerned. "Did he say something?"

"No." He clutched his side, wincing at the pain that was lancing through his entire belly from the sudden motion. "He didn't – but the Mind stone did…"

"Lay back," Stephen said, also worried about the boy hurting himself, more than anything that he might have to say.

At least he was until he said it.

Peter was a little breathless, but he looked at them all, his eyes a mix of awed and uncertain – as if he couldn't believe what he was going to say.

"Alec used to wear the _cloak_."


	17. Chapter 17

Natasha watched the others vanish into Peter's bedroom, then turned her attention back to the two aliens on the sofa, hands secured in front of their bodies where their captors could watch to make sure they weren't trying to pick the locks, or break the metal. Wong had his hands up, ready to do whatever was needed to keep them where they were – or at least keep them from running amok in the compound or the city – but was clearly studying them.

"We're your first Skrull?" Cayn asked, noticing the look, as well.

"In _person_."

"Lucky us."

Romanoff didn't draw her sidearm, again, but her hands didn't stray far from them.

"Is that their _true_ form?" she asked the sorcerer.

"That's what they look like in the writings I've seen."

"This is our true form," Cayn confirmed with a scowl, trying to concentrate and change that. It was unnerving that he couldn't morph, and Kar hadn't said a word since they'd been forced out of the alien forms, which made him wonder if his underling was injured, somehow. "What did he do to us?"

"No clue," Romanoff said, with a shrug. "But he's not the only one who can do it."

"You picked the wrong people to screw with, this time," Wong told them, smugly.

_He_ didn't know what Peter had done, either, but he knew that Stephen would find out, and would relay the information to him. Which meant more knowledge and another chapter or two to add to the library. Maybe even a new spell – although it sounded like this was an old one. Perhaps one so long forgotten that there wasn't even a record of it.

Or maybe not a record in _his_ little library on earth, but perhaps somewhere _else_, in another place, they knew of it.

OOOOO

"_Stephen's_ cloak?" Tony asked, curiously, stunned.

Peter nodded.

"Yeah."

They all looked over at the sorcerer, curious about his reaction, and saw he was about as surprised as any of them had ever seen him.

"Is that _possible_, Stephen?" Tony asked his friend.

"According to what Peter told us, there have been countless bearers of the Cloak of Levitation through the millennia. The odds are _beyond_ astronomical that a person chosen at random to come to Peter would be one of them, however. Which means the soul stone or the Mind stone chose this Alec for a reason."

"To _fix_ me," Peter told them.

"Wait. _What_?" Tony leaned over, his hand palming Peter's cheek, his eyes concerned. "What did you say?"

The boy tried to remember the exact wording.

"He said I'm damaged and that he's going to help."

"You're not-"

"Damaged, _how_?" Stephen interrupted.

"I don't know. We didn't get that far. The skrull thing came up, and I got hurt. I get the feeling he's trying to keep from overwhelming me."

"_Yes. I told you I won't hurt you. That includes mentally."_

"_I remember."_

"Is it serious?" Tony asked, his expression suddenly fearful, and his face pale.

What if it _was_? What could be so important that _aliens_ had to invade Peter's head to repair? What if he lost him? He hadn't had him that long. He _couldn't_ lose him. How would he tell _Pepper_?

"_Tony's freaking out. Stop him before it escalates into a panic attack."_

Peter reacted, immediately. He'd seen the change in Tony's expression, too – and the fear. He reached for the hand that had been pressed to his cheek, holding it tightly with his own, locking gazes with the billionaire who meant so much to him.

"Hey… _hey_…? I'm _fine_. Look at me. I'm right here, and _nothing_ is happening to me. I feel okay – just the appendix thing."

"But-" his eyes were slightly wild, and Peter touched his free hand against Tony's chin and jaw, using the action that soothed _him_ more than anything to try and reassure. "But, you said-"

"No buts. Whatever it is, it's _fine_. You've gotten me through so much, there's nothing we can't handle, right? I survived the nutmeg thing and a bear attack. _This_ isn't anything. Right?"

Peter's voice was low and calm, and Stephen and Clint were both silent, watching what was a very private exchange without moving, trying to keep from distracting Tony from what the boy was saying – and _doing_.

"We don't _know_ that."

"I'm right here," Peter repeated.

"I can't _lose_ you."

"_He's not _going_ to lose you. You're not dying. That's not what I'm going to repair."_

"I'm not _dying_, Alec says," Peter told him, locking eyes on Tony. "See? I'm right here. You and Pepper are stuck with me and my bad luck for a long, long, time."

"You're not bad luck," Tony told him, automatically, realizing that Peter had phrased it that way on purpose to shake him out of his almost paralyzing fear. And it _worked_. To a point. "It's not – you're not dying?"

"_I'm not?"_

"Everyone_ is dying. Don't _say _that,"_ he admonished as Peter opened his mouth to repeat it. _"Tell him what's wrong with you isn't life threatening."_

"It's _not_ something life threatening," Peter told him. "We can worry about it later. After this skrull thing…"

Tony wouldn't turn away for a long moment, but he finally nodded, his face regaining a little color.

"He's not _hurting_ you?"

"No."

"We're going to have a long talk when we get done with this alien thing. He's going to come clean about what's going on."

"Yeah. We'll do that."

"You were going to call _Wanda_," Strange reminded him, ready to get him on track, again.

"Right."

"_Tell him to invite _Vision_."_

"_He can't."_

"_Because…?"_

"_Because the Mind stone will kill me."_

"_Not with _me_ here." _The voice was tinged with smugness it wasn't bothering to suppress._ "Go ahead."_ There was a surge of gentle amusement. _"I can't wait to see that vein in his temple expand, again."_

"Um, dad…?" Tony looked over at Peter. _He_ didn't find that vein nearly as hilarious. "He – Alec said that you should invite _Vision_."

"What?" Sure enough, there it was. "_That_ isn't happening."

"The Mind stone will kill you," Clint said before Tony could.

Peter shrugged.

"Alec says it won't. Not with him here."

Strange frowned, but Tony scowled.

"No. I'm not going to risk-"

"Have them come into the area slowly," Stephen suggested. "Like we did when we were trying to explain to it what it was doing to Peter. If this Alec can block the effects of the stone, it's something to know about."

Stark didn't look convinced, and he turned to Peter.

"We're putting an awful lot of faith in an unknown alien that only says he's trying to _help_. What if it's a trick? What if he's wrong? Or What if _Loki_ sent him, or something?"

"I don't feel like there's anything going on," Peter told him. "It doesn't feel off, like if something bad was going to happen – and the Mind stone probably would have told me, or Natasha, if we can't trust him. It knows his mind, presumably."

"_Logic. Very good, Peter."_

"You don't feel _anything_ coming from your gut?" Tony asked.

"No." He _did_, but it was all shooting pain that had nothing to do with the present situation and everything to do with the three stitches from the surgery that he'd torn. External stitches, so it wasn't a big deal. Hardly life threatening, but not comfortable. "I'm… I think it's okay. I'd like to meet Vision."

Tony hesitated and then made the call, and Strange frowned down at the boy.

"Does that mean that you aren't able to feel magic?"

Peter hesitated, and shook his head.

"I feel the cloak."

An apple appeared in the doctor's hand.

"Did you feel _that_?"

"Yeah."

"That's amazing…"

"_I'm an amazing kind of guy,"_ came the self-satisfied response.

Peter didn't bother to repeat that.


	18. Chapter 18

"Wanda says they'll be here in a while," Tony reported, looking at Peter as he said it – although he was speaking to all of them. "We're going to have Vision come in slowly, though, just in case."

Peter nodded, and felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him that he couldn't hide.

"While we're waiting, why don't you get some rest?" Strange said, not missing it any more than Tony had.

"I shouldn't," Peter told them. "What if you guys _need_ me?"

"We need you in better shape than you're in right now," Tony replied, not pointing out to the boy that they'd been handling themselves since long before he'd come barreling into their lives. While it was _true_, he much preferred having Peter with them than not. "Get some sleep, okay? Pepper's going to be here, soon, I imagine, and I don't want her freaking out – or lecturing either of us about how tired you look and making sure you're getting your rest."

_"He's right, Peter. Rest for a while. They have things under control."_

_"But what of there are more of these things in the compound?"_

_"There aren't."_

_"You're sure?"_

_"Kar and Cayn are."_

_"Who?"_

"_The Skrull."_ Alec was still sounding smug, but it wasn't insufferable – more amusing. _"Let Tony talk you into getting some sleep. You need it."_

Peter nodded, and eased himself back into the bed, a relieved sigh escaping his control when his head hit the pillow. He was tired, and sore. And a little afraid, despite the way he'd immediately reassured Tony. What if it _was_ something serious? How could he leave Tony and Pepper? They-

"_Stop that. It's _not_ life-threatening."_

"You won't be far?" Peter asked, Tony, softly, fighting down the urge to reach for his hand.

"Nope. I'll be here when you wake up," Stark assured him. "Go to sleep, son."

He didn't have a choice, really. Peter was asleep in only moments.

"He's okay?" Clint asked, concerned, worried about just how quickly Peter had gone to sleep.

"Yes." Strange had been checking the boy's vitals, and watching him, intently. "He's _fine_. Let's go talk to your guests."

They walked out of the bedroom at the same time that the outer door of Peter's room opened, and Fury walked in with Pepper – who looked upset. Not surprising. She did a double-take when she saw the aliens sitting on Peter's sofa, hands bound in their laps. Her eyes went to Peter's bedroom door, but then to Tony, who gave her a small gesture that said their son was fine, but to hold off on things for just a moment before going to check on him.

A benefit of them knowing each other so well.

Fury scowled.

"What in the _hell_…?"

"We have some uninvited guests, Nick," Tony said, walking over to stand in front of the sofa so he could get a better view of the skrull. The only aliens that he'd ever seen – Asgardians notwithstanding – were the ones that had attacked new York. These two were more lizard-ish than those. A reminder that there were a lot of different kinds of aliens out there. "They imitated Steve and Captain Danvers, and it _can't_ be a coincidence that they ended up _here_, instead of looking for you like Danvers expected."

"Yeah."

Pepper was standing near Wong, who had been joined by Strange, both sorcerer's watching the skrull, but knowing that Tony would feel better if Pepper had as much protection between her and the aliens as possible, and willing to help out there.

"What _are_ they?" she asked, softly. "Are they these skrull that we were told about?"

"Yes."

"That's what they really look-"

Her question, and Cayn's annoyed response were both interrupted by Nutmeg, who launched himself, suddenly, from the cat tree and landed on the coffee table in front of the sofa, scattering assorted items and startling almost everyone in the room.

"What the hell!?" Kar muttered, flinching backward, even though the kitten didn't do anything more than scramble back to his cat tree once more, and climbed immediately back to the top to crouch there, watching everyone, again.

Tony had been startled, but it hadn't shown. He'd almost _expected_ it. He walked over to stand in front of the couch, Clint on one side of him, and Natasha on the other.

"Your mission?"

"Is _our_ business," Cayn said, with far more bravado than he was really in a position to show.

Fury snorted, affecting amusement as he walked over to stand by Tony, looking down at the aliens on Peter's sofa.

"No. It _was_ your business, but now it's _our_ business. You coming here, and trying to infiltrate our place has _made_ it our business."

"You're Fury?" Cayn asked, boldly, but Natasha hadn't missed that both of them were watching him, carefully.

Obviously, even the skrull had heard of Nick, and were wary of him.

"I am. And I've met your kind before. I know you're not all bad people, but I _also_ know that where there are good, there can also be _bad_, and at the moment, I'm going to have to assume that _you're_ bad – because you've done nothing to make me believe otherwise."

If anyone was annoyed that he was taking over the interrogation, they didn't say anything – or even look annoyed.

"Our mission is our own business," Cayn repeated, lifting his head a little more, defiantly.

"Right."

"Wanda's coming," Tony told Nick.

"How long?"

"It's going to be a few hours – unless Stephen or Wong want to bring them."

"_Them_?"

"Vision's coming, too."

"Vision can't come here," Pepper said, speaking up. "It'll kill-"

Tony raised his hand, cutting her off.

"It's alright, Pepper. I'll explain what's going on in a minute."

"No." Nick looked concerned about Vision coming, too – and for the same reason. He expected the explanation as well, but had aliens to worry about, too, and had to assume Peter was the top of Tony's priority list and Vision wouldn't be coming if Tony wasn't certain that it was safe. "Let's let them come at their own speed. These two could probably benefit from some hospitality."

"What?"

"Doctor?" Fury looked over at the sorcerers flanking Pepper. "When Loki came to visit, you used a spell to keep him in place and safely contained. Will it work on _anyone_? Or just gods?"

"It's designed for anyone with a heartbeat," Wong replied.

"These guys _have_ hearts?" Clint asked.

"We could shoot one and see if they _bleed_," Romanoff suggested, coolly

"We bleed," Cayn assured them, looking just a little nervously at Natasha – as if he knew immediately that the comment hadn't been a bluff. Which it hadn't been. "Look. You had your fun. You caught us. This is all a misunderstanding. You can let us go, and we'll-"

"We have people waiting for us," Kar added, clearly shook at the threat. "If we don't check in, they're going-"

"Shut up," Cayn snapped.

Fury looked at Strange, and then at Tony.

"I'd appreciate it if you handled these two the same as you handled Loki – for now. There's a small room down the hall that is being used for conferences. Freeze our… _guests_… and put them in there. We'll keep a watch on them until we can get more intel – or until they decide to tell us what's so important here in New York."

"We can do that."

"I don't need to remind you that the Geneva Convention doesn't apply to aliens, right?"

Wong smirked.

"The Geneva _what_?"

"Don't worry, Nick," Natasha said. "If they move, or do anything stupid, they're _dead_. We can get our intel from the next ones that come down."

Fury nodded, admiring Natasha Romanoff more and more every day.

There was a flurry of activity as the aliens were hauled unceremoniously to their feet and taken out of the room; Clint and the sorcerers both going, with Romanoff already calling for a few others to come act as additional guards.

"I'll have Friday monitoring the room," Tony said. "If they twitch oddly, we'll be ready."

"Their strength is in their ability to fool others," Nick told him. "In their true form, they're really not much more dangerous than any other person. But take them seriously."

"Is Peter alright?" Pepper asked.

"Yeah. And he's the reason those guys aren't wearing Steve and Carol Halloween costumes, anymore."

Tony walked over to the cat tree and reached up, pulling Nutmeg down and holding the kitten against his still metal enclosed chest.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, honey," he said, heading for the door that separated the bedroom from the living room. "You can check on him, while we tell you what we know."

Fury and Natasha followed; clearly wanting to hear what was going on.


	19. Chapter 19

"Wait… _what_?" Predictably, Pepper wasn't enamored of the idea of someone digging around in Peter's mind. "There's a dead sorcerer in his head?"

"We're not completely certain _who_ he is," Tony admitted, watching as she ran her fingers lightly along Peter's arm, barely touching him to avoid disturbing his sleep. He didn't stir. "Only that according to Peter, he _used_ to wear the cloak – like Stephen does, now – and he says that he can protect Peter from the effects of being too close to the Mind stone."

"And presumably the _Time stone_, as well?" Fury asked, fascinated.

"I'm not going to assume anything, really," Tony told them. "We'll see."

"This person…" Pepper hesitated. "What's his name?"

"Alec," Tony supplied.

"He said Peter's hurt?"

"No. He told Peter that he's _damaged_. And that it isn't _life threatening_," he added, quickly. "I asked. There's something wrong that he was going to fix, but the skrull thing came up, first, so it needs to be dealt with."

"And Peter cast this spell on the aliens to keep them from changing into other people?" Fury clarified.

"Yes. I saw him do it. And then saw them change. They looked a bit freaked out, so I'd say whatever it intended to do, it worked."

"He's _alright_, though?" Pepper pressed. "Stephen checked him out? Doing this spell didn't hurt him further?"

"He was awake and talking, honey," Tony assured her. "Stephen suggested that we allow him a chance to get some rest – because of the _appendix_ thing, nothing else. He's fine."

He could tell she wanted to wake him up and see for herself – and knew that she wouldn't. He understood completely, though.

"How long until Wanda and Vision arrive?" Fury asked.

"Several hours."

"Rogers and Danvers are on their way back?"

"Yes. They're probably half an hour out, still. The aliens were smart enough to make sure they were far enough away that they weren't going to be detected by an abrupt return."

"Not smart enough to keep from getting _caught_, though," Natasha said, approvingly. "What does Nutmeg have to do with all of this, though?" she asked, looking at the kitten Tony had been petting the entire time he'd been explaining what was going on. Nutmeg was asleep, lulled by Tony's ministrations. "You'd think some kind of crazy powerful sorcerer – even a _dead_ one – would choose to manifest in something a bit more impressive than a _cat_."

"And a _baby_ one, at that," Fury added, reaching over and taking the kitten, waking him. "If he were a _flerkin_, I'd understand," the director of SHIELD said. "But-"

"A _what_?" Pepper interrupted.

"A flerkin," Fury repeated. "Don't _even_ look at me like that, guys," he added, seeing their reactions. "_Danvers_ saw it. One minute I'm holding this normal-looking cat, all cuddly and friendly, and the next, huge tentacles are coming out of its mouth and it's eating everything in front of it – _including_ the tesseract. Peter tells me Nutmeg here is just a kitten, though."

"You asked if he's a flerkin and Peter _never_ thought to mention it to one of us?" Tony said.

"I asked him if he'd know of Nutmeg were something _else_," Nick corrected, running his fingers lightly through the kitten's soft fur, making Nutmeg purr, loudly, at the attention. "And he said he thought so, and the topic dropped."

Natasha was satisfied with what little she'd heard, and wanted to go make sure the skrull were firmly in hand – and wanted to get Stephen's take on the alien in Peter's mind thing.

"I'm going to go check on the skrull," she told them. "Do you need anything?"

"I'll come, too," Fury said, handing the kitten to Pepper, who took him, gingerly, looking at him closely as she cuddled him against her collarbone. "I want to make sure we have enough secondary guards. You're going to keep your AI alert for duplicates?" he asked Tony.

"Yes. And, now, we'll watch for people leaving in one vehicle and returning in a different one – or anything suspicious like that. Friday is self-learning, so she'll catch all of that, now that she knows to look for it."

"Good. Let me know when Wanda and Vision are close."

"I will, Nick."

Natasha didn't repeat that, because she knew that _she'd_ know, as well. She was going to stick near Stephen, who was almost certainly going to be with Peter during Vision's approach to the compound. Just in case something went south (which she almost certainly expected until someone proved otherwise to her). She gave both of them a reassuring smile, and left with Fury.

Pepper sat on the edge of Peter's bed, looking up at Tony, her eyes showing all of the concern that she was trying very hard to hide from the others as she pet Nutmeg.

"This isn't freaking you out?"

"It _is_," he admitted. "I almost had a panic attack on the spot. Peter talked me down."

"He did?"

Tony nodded, stepping close enough for him to put his hands on her shoulders while she leaned into him, pressing her forehead against his stomach, closing her eyes and stealing a little support from him.

"He's had enough of them to know exactly what to say to stop one, right?" he reminded her, rubbing her shoulders and back, tenderly, watching Peter sleep. "When he wakes up we'll see if we can find out more about what's supposedly wrong with him that they're going to be fixing."

She pulled back, looking up at him, again, and then at the kitten.

"Too bad Nutmeg can't tell us."

"Right?" he smiled, though, at the kitten she was holding. "I'm not sure I'm ready for voices in my head, though."

"Is _Peter_?" she asked, handing Nutmeg back to Tony and pulling the little Ironman doll out from under his sleeping form where it had been trapped. She set it in the crook of the boy's arm and brushed her fingers against his cheek despite her resolve to allow him to sleep – but he didn't stir. "He already has Stephen's cloak and the occasional appearance of the toddler – not to mention the Mind stone. It's a wonder he isn't crazy."

Tony smiled, despite the seriousness of the conversation – and the underlying fear he still had. He loved watching her with him. It made his heart sing to see her interact with Peter, awake or asleep. She was so amazing with him.

"He isn't crazy because he has _mom_ to keep him centered and grounded," Tony pointed out. "When things get too weird, or overwhelming, he knows that he can end up in your arms and everything will be alright."

Which he realized, suddenly, was absolutely the _truth_. Peter had figured it out much quicker than Tony had. Pepper was a rock for both of them to hang onto when the world around them went topsy-turvy. As it frequently did. No wonder the boy was always looking for their bed when he needed to be held. Natasha protected when Peter was afraid – and understandably so – but _Pepper_ comforted.

Peter was a _genius_.

She smiled up at him, touched, but also still very worried.

"Can you stay?"

He nodded, retracting the Ironman suit completely.

"The others can handle everything for a little while."

He was a micromanager by nature, but he knew he was right and that he could trust the compound to Fury and the others – _and_ Stephen and Wong. They'd give him the time needed to be with Pepper and Peter, just then. Nutmeg was settled back in Peter's bed, and the kitten went to sleep instead of trying to drag off the Ironman doll as he might normally. Pepper and Tony found their normal spots on the bed, one on either side of the boy.

She pulled his blanket up, just a little, and tucked it around him, and then reached for Tony's hand.

"You don't have any voices in your head, right?" she asked her husband.

He smirked.

"They gave up on intelligent conversation a long time ago, Pep."


	20. Chapter 20

The room wasn't a large one, and by design, there wasn't a lot of furniture in it. The prisoners – they weren't even pretending to call them _guests_ – were allowed chairs; hardback wooden chairs, and not comfortably upholstered ones. It was more than they'd afforded Loki when they'd had him at the compound, Wong had reminded them all as they watched Clint strip both aliens of anything aside from their clothing before settling each onto a chair, making sure they weren't close enough to touch each other.

They began to protest that the security wasn't needed, when Wong waved a hand, almost negligently, and suddenly neither of them could move from the neck down.

"What the fresh hell is this?" Cayn snapped, turning his head to look at Kar, to make sure they weren't doing something more sinister to his underling.

"Just making sure you don't do anything that we might regret," Strange told them.

"Who _are_ you?" the skrull asked, clearly struggling to get free. "C-53 isn't supposed to have anyone that can-"

"_C-53?"_ Clint asked.

"I would assume that's their designation for earth," Wong guessed. He turned back to the aliens. "_Surprise_."

"I've called for a few guards," Clint said. "I trust your spell to hold, but just in case someone else comes looking for them, we don't want to lose our prisoners until we have a chance to find out what exactly they're doing here."

"We're not telling you anything," Cayn repeated, stubbornly. "You might as well let us go."

"Luckily, we don't _need_ you to tell us anything," Stephen said, the Cloak of Levitation flaring for just a moment before settling, drawing amazed stares from both aliens. He glanced at Wong, who nodded, and then looked at Clint. "The spell is set until Wong releases it. I need to go speak with Tony."

"He and Pepper are spending some time with Peter," a new voice said from the doorway. Nice and Natasha had arrived, and looked at the two prisoners with satisfaction at how they had been handled. No injuries, but complete control of them. "Is there something I can help you with, Doctor?"

"You're a doctor?" Cayn asked. "A _medic_?"

Strange ignored the question in favor of nodding to Fury.

"We know what the Panzer Alrad is."

"That's the spell Peter used?" Natasha asked.

"Yes. The one that stripped these two of their false identities. It's not – _technically_ – designed specifically for the skrull," Strange clarified. "It's to keep the mind from being tricked by a simulation or a replication."

"So they could still change their form?" Fury asked. "We just wouldn't be fooled by it?"

"Correct," Wong said. "However, once the spell is cast, it's cast permanently. _And_ it affects the being trying to change, as well. They may change themselves a dozen times – and it might appear to have worked to someone who isn't under the spell – but they, themselves will see it as a failure because their mind is protected, as well."

"Wow," Natasha said, approvingly. "That's quite the spell."

"Indeed," Stephen said, smiling slightly. "It seems innocuous enough – almost child's play. But it's incredibly potent and a brilliant piece of work."

"Not something you guys came up with?" Nick asked him.

"Not even close. The scroll Wong found it in is a replica of a replica to the unknown power. It could be literally billions of years old."

"There's no way Peter just guessed the name, then, is there?" Natasha pointed out, "We'll want to talk to him, more, later."

"The question right now," Fury interjected. "Is how do we use it to keep the compound safe from any of their buddies coming along trying to trick us?"

"I was thinking we'd cast the spell over the compound. When Peter cast it, it must have gone further than his rooms – not surprisingly, really, given his strength – but if we want, we can deliberately cover the entire base – or even the entire area, just in case someone is out in the trees, as well."

"Sounds great. Do it."

"You don't need to ask permission of the people here?"

"Nope." Fury was certain, and it showed in his demeanor. "They sign on to be here, they sign on for anything we do to them."

"As long as you're not performing human sacrifices to unknown gods…" Wong stated.

Natasha tilted her head, slightly.

"Sure."

Strange smirked. God, he loved her sense of humor.

"When can you cast this thing?" Fury asked.

"I can do it, myself, right from here."

It would be an object lesson for their guests, Fury decided. He nodded.

"Do it, then. Thank you."

Cayn scowled, trying to struggle once again.

"Who _are_ you people?"

Strange didn't respond. He took a deep breath, struck an odd pose and clapped his hands together. Then, as Clint had seen Peter do before, he threw his right hand up, bracing himself.

"Shouldn't we move?" Clint asked.

"Why?"

"_Peter_ told us to – before he cast it."

"I'm better at this than he is," Strange pointed out. "You're fine."

A moment later, there was a flash of green that permeated the entire room and then spread beyond the walls and even further, until the entire complex as well as several miles of area around it had been included in the spell. Stephen shook his head, as if to clear it, and then straightened up, a little.

"Got it."

"Are you alright?" Natasha asked.

"Yes. Thank you."

Fury moved out of the room, then, and tapped his ear bud.

"Tony?"

There was a moment's pause, and then a soft response – as if he was being careful not to wake Peter.

"_Yeah, Nick?"_

"Dr. Strange just cast a spell to make sure none of us can be fooled by any of these Skrull. Would you ask your AI to verify if anyone starts acting like they are seeing aliens instead of people?"

"_Yeah."_

"Thanks." He ended the communication and went back into the room, looking at the aliens who were still occasionally struggling to get free of Wong's spell. "We don't need to stay right here for your holding spell to work, do we?"

"No," Wong agreed. "It isn't one that requires constant enforcement."

"Then we'll leave the guards, and why don't we go get a drink?"

No sense standing around waiting, when they could do it in the peace and quiet of the lounge, after all.

OOOOOOO

"Think it's something you should go check on?"

Tony shook his head, already settling his head back onto the pillow beside Peter's.

"No. If he needed me, he'd have asked for me to meet him somewhere. We're fine, honey."

Pepper didn't know that she'd use a word as strong as _fine_, but he seemed relaxed enough, all things considered, and she knew that he was trying to stay that way – and keep her that way, as well. She nodded, allowing it, and reached for his hand, again, only to have Peter shift between them, just a little – probably in response to their voices.

Both of them watched to see if he opened his eyes and woke, but he simply reached out with the hand that wasn't holding the doll and Nutmeg.

_"Mom…?"_

"Sh-sh-shh…" Pepper crooned, softly, touching his hand with her own. "It's time to sleep…"

He muttered something, but didn't move, and a moment later, he relaxed once more and was asleep, again. Tony lifted his head, looking over at her across the sleeping form and he smiled, giving her an okay signal with his hand and mouthing the word _smooth_, wordlessly.

Pepper shrugged, and smiled, despite the situation.

Sometimes.

OOOOOOO

"I'm never going to get clean clothes," Danvers muttered as they walked into the lounge, immediately looked around and headed for the small group sitting at the corner table.

Steve shrugged.

"I offered to get you some uniforms."

"You know why they're called _uniforms_? Because they all look the same. Don't get me wrong, you look great in yours, but I was hoping for something a little more stylish."

He smiled, but he didn't have time to reply. They'd reached the table. Fury, Natasha, Clint and Wong were sitting around it, all of them with coffee in front of them. On a display that was close at hand, Steve saw one of the small conference rooms and was shocked to see a couple of green, lizard-like aliens sitting in wooden chairs, being watched by a couple of guards.

"What in the world?"

"Those are skrulls, alright," Carol confirmed, looking at the screen with interest. "Why are they just sitting there?"

She was a little surprised by how casually the group was acting.

"They're stuck with a spell," Fury told her. "Can't move anything but their heads – and whatever they need to breathe."

"You caught them, Clint?" Steve asked.

The archer nodded.

"They didn't make it too hard, really. When I saw the two of you making out like a couple of school kids, I knew something was up."

"_What?"_

He smirked, amused at the way both of them blushed and Steve looked scandalized.

"Just _kidding_."

Natasha was equally amused.

"It wasn't quite that blatant," she said. "But it's a story worth telling, again."


	21. Chapter 21

Peter woke on his own. No voices in his head talking to him. No kitten standing on his face batting him with a paw. No gentle hands touching him, even. He just opened his eyes, suddenly awake. He was aware of being in a fair amount of pain, almost immediately, but that was coming from that place in his side that he already associated with having his appendix taken out, so he was able to tell himself it wasn't something to worry about.

Pain wasn't a good thing, necessarily, but it did tell him that he was still around. And that was all to the good.

"Awake?" A soft voice murmured, close by.

He opened his eyes and saw Tony lounging next to him in the bed – which meant the warm body on the other side of him must be Pepper.

"Yeah."

He whispered, just in case she was asleep, but a hand came around him – around his chest, instead of his waist – so he knew she wasn't sleeping, either.

"How do you feel, sweetheart?" she asked, hugging him.

"Okay. My stomach hurts."

"Because of your surgery?" Tony asked. "Or is it something else? And are your spider senses acting up?"

"No." he hesitated to make sure, but everything seemed alright – at least as far as his belly was concerned. "I think I'm okay. What's going on? What did I miss? Is Vision here, yet?"

"No. We'd have woken you to make sure you were okay if he was that close – although it shouldn't be long. As far as the rest; Stephen cast the same spell you did – only he put it on the entire compound, so now no surprises in the form of doppelgängers, our prisoners are suitably detained, still, and unwilling to tell us what they want, and Steve and Carol are back – but from what I understand, she still doesn't have any clothes of her own to wear."

"Oh."

He hadn't expected to have missed so much, but apparently, he _had_.

"Are you hungry?" Pepper asked, movement behind him telling him that she was sitting up, now.

"Yes."

"Let us get Stephen in here to check on you before we risk feeding you anything," Tony said, more to Pepper than to Peter. "Just in case." He hesitated. "I don't suppose your friend Alec is around, too?"

"_I'm _always _around,"_ came the response in Peter's mind. _"It's not like I'm going to go out looking for stones on the waterside, now am I?"_

"Yeah."

"What's he doing?" Pepper asked, concerned. "Are you alright?"

Now there _was_ a hand on his cheek, testing for fever, or whatever else she thought she could learn from touching him. He didn't mind, he loved her touch. It was one of the million ways she told him she loved him every day.

"I'm fine," he assured her. "He isn't doing anything." Peter shifted on the bed, rolling a bit so he was on his back, now, instead of his side. That way he could look at both of them. "It's unobtrusive," he said. "He's kind of like the Mind stone. I know he's _there_, but he isn't always doing anything."

"_A good analogy – and apt."_

"He's not in _control_, though, right?" Tony asked, his eyes worried. "He can't make you do anything you don't want to do?"

"I don't think so."

"_No. Of course not."_

He could tell the idea of Alec made them upset – and he could _understand_. It was probably the medications that he was on keeping him calm about it all, otherwise he might be as worried as they were.

"_There's no way you can reassure them?"_

"_I think it would worry them more if they were to hear voices in their heads – even if I could talk to them like I can to you."_

_"You can't?"_

"_No. I can see their surface thoughts, if they're close enough, but you're the one I'm here for, and you're the only one I can talk to."_

"_Oh_." Peter realized something else, then – something he picked up from the Mind stone. Not from Alec. _"You can't lie to me."_

"_Not mind to mind, nope."_ The reply was cheerful._ "My people were only connected mentally. We had no concept for lying, until we met other alien races. And that's a long story that you can hear another time."_

Before Peter could reply to that, the bedroom door opened and Stephen walked in, smiling when he saw the boy was awake. A moment later, the cloak was removing itself from the sorcerer's collar and had wrapped itself over and around Peter as well as it could.

"_I missed that thing,"_ Alec said. "_Perpetually cheerful, always excited and ready to help out – but deadly in a fight, as you've learned, I see."_

"Awake so soon?" Strange said, pulling Peter's attention from Alec and making him nod. "How do you feel?"

"He says he's hungry," Tony reported. "That's good, right?"

"With Peter, it definitely is," the doctor agreed. He waited for Pepper to move out of the way, and then pulled the boy's t-shirt up, baring the bandages. "You ripped the scope stitches," he noted. "There's some seepage."

"Do we need to operate, again?" Tony asked.

"No. They're external ones. He's fine for now. How's the pain, Peter?"

"Six?"

"That's not bad. Headache?"

"No. I feel okay."

"Well, let's keep you off your feet for now." He looked over at Tony. "How long until Vision gets here?"

"Half an hour. They're going to call when they get within ten miles, or so."

"I presume you'll want me with Peter?"

"Definitely."

"Then let's get him fed, at least." Stephen helped Peter sit up a little more, and then a tray appeared, complete with enough food for four of them – telling them that he was going to stick around to eat with them. "Still have your friend in your head?" Strange asked when Peter gingerly reached for a bread roll, taking care not to wake Nutmeg, who had so far slept through all of it.

"Yes."

Peter realized that the cloak and Alec were both distracted, and he wondered if they were communicating with each other.

"I don't suppose he's giving you the winning lottery numbers?" Strange asked, smiling.

Peter smiled, too, knowing that he was being low-key about it to keep Pepper and Tony from worrying. The boy looked at both of them, smiling.

"I already won the lottery," he said.

OOOOOOO

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Clint's expression is so concerned that Natasha begins to doubt it, too. She looked at Stephen, who had just joined them in the lounge – having finished eating lunch with Tony, Pepper and Peter. The fact that Vision was coming had all of them on edge – including Fury, who had joined them just a few minutes before.

The only one looking worried was Carol.

"Peter says this Alec can protect him."

"But what if he's wrong?" Steve asked, clearly agreeing with Clint.

"What's the big deal, guys?" Carol asked. She knew of Peter's sensitivities, now, but had heard the plan, as well. "If he can't handle it, this Vision guy doesn't come, right?"

"The problem is more along the line of what it'll do to Peter if he's wrong," Fury explained. "It almost killed him the last time."

"He's going to activate the new suit?" Steve asked.

"Yes. It might be able to cushion some of the energy, as well," Strange said. "And the cloak and I will be with him – to move him, if we need to."

"This is a terrible idea," Clint muttered.

"We need the intel. Wanda can get into the Skrull minds like we can't, and Vision might be helpful."

"I know the reason behind the plan," he reminded her. "I'm just not happy with it."

"You're not the only one," Fury agreed. "On the plus side, our prisoners are looking a little nervous – which can only be a good thing. We-"

Romanoff reached for her earpiece, making everyone look at her – and Steve touched his almost at the exact same time as Stephen's watch beeped.

"They're close," Natasha said, looking at Stephen. "Let's go."

She was going to relay for Peter, while Tony was going to go Ironman and go meet up with Vision and Wanda, who were now hovering just outside the ten mile mark from the compound.

"Wish us luck," Strange said – even though he didn't believe in luck.

"Good luck," Steve said, looking worried, again.

Or maybe the better word was _still_.


	22. Chapter 22

"Don't look so worried," Peter said, trying to lighten the extremely concerned expressions on the faces of those around him. "We've done this before."

"And it almost _killed_ you, before," Tony reminded him, telling him that the attempt had failed.

Of course, _Peter_ was nervous, too, and it probably showed. Nervous and _scared_, truth be told.

"_I've got you this time,"_ Alec assured him, even as the Cloak of Levitation wrapped itself around the boy's shoulder's, as well, crooning reassurances into his mind. "_You really _can_ feel it, too, can't you? That's _amazing_."_

Peter didn't answer the voice in his head. He was too focused on the ones outside it, just then. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, with Strange on one side of him and Natasha on the other. Tony was standing in front of him, and Pepper was standing near the doorway, holding Nutmeg to keep the kitten out of the way. She wasn't even trying to hide how afraid she was for him. The others _were_ – with varying degrees of success.

"It'll be alright," Peter told Tony. "Stephen'll move me if we're wrong – long before it becomes a problem."

He had the teleportation stone, but if the Mind stone started hurting him as Vision and Wanda drew near, he knew that he wouldn't be able to focus enough to tell the thing where to send him. Strange didn't have that problem.

Tony was hesitating, even though Vision was waiting for him to join them to make the final leg of the trip to the compound. His eyes were troubled, and he was clearly torn between trusting Peter and protecting Peter. He glanced over at Pepper, but she wasn't able to do more than look at him, also worried.

"At least activate the new suit, okay?" he requested.

Maybe the vibranium would muffle some of the Mind stone's effects – even though it wasn't the same kind of energy.

Peter did as he was told, activating everything but the helmet so he could still watch everyone.

"They're waiting for you…" he reminded his father.

Tony nodded, looking at Stephen.

"If he even looks like he's having-"

"I'll get him out of here."

There wasn't any of Strange's usual acerbic tone; he was well aware how concerned Tony was and knew the man was trusting him with the boy's well-being. It wasn't the time to give him grief for being over protective, or helicoptering.

Stark nodded, again, activating his suit, the bleeding edge armor forming over the clothing he was wearing, although he didn't cover his face, yet, either. He turned to Natasha.

"I'll keep in touch with you."

"I know. Just like last time."

They did know. The plan was the same as before, after all. If Peter needed Vision to stop, he'd say something, and Natasha would pass it on to Tony.

Stark stopped long enough to brush his hand along Peter's forehead, ruffling his hair, and then he turned, pressing a kiss against Pepper's cheek as he left the room.

"_That technology is impressive,"_ Alec said to Peter_. "He's an impressive man."_

"_Yeah. I'm learning a lot from him."_

"_I can see that. Now, relax. This isn't going to hurt you. If you relax, they might try to, as well."_

Peter took a deep breath, wincing slightly when it hurt his stomach, but looking at the others.

"I'm _okay_."

"Let's keep you that way," Strange said, making Natasha smile and set her hand on the boy's knee.

"Are you going to activate the mask?" she asked.

"No. I'm good. Really. This way you can hear me, better." He caught Pepper's worried gaze and smiled. "It's okay, mom. Don't look so worried. You're going to make me nervous."

Pepper forced a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, and they all suddenly heard Tony's voice over Peter's com.

"_We're at ten miles and we're going to start closing."_

Peter nodded, and like before, it was Natasha who replied on her com.

"We read you, Tony. You have Vision _and_ Wanda?"

"_I do. Is Peter ready?"_

The boy nodded, closing his eyes so he could concentrate, and aware when Stephen took hold of his forearm – just in case.

"Yes."

The room fell silent, and they all clearly heard as Tony ticked off the distance.

"_Nine miles… Eight miles… We're at seven miles… still alright?"_

Peter nodded.

"I don't feel anything."

"_And you shouldn't,"_ Alec said, gently, to avoid distracting him.

"We're still good here," Natasha reported.

At six miles Tony stopped, because six miles was where Peter had started feeling the Mind stone the last time. Which had been one of many reasons that he'd worn the Ironman suit the first time; to have that record.

"_Nothing?"_

Peter shook his head.

"Still okay," Romanoff assured him.

"_We're at five miles – Peter?"_

The boy shrugged, looking at the others, and then pressing his watch.

"I don't feel anything. I'm okay."

It repeated every half mile, then. Despite the seeming success, Tony wasn't taking any chances – and no one could fault him for it. Eventually, though, Peter frowned when the billionaire announced they were within half a mile.

"Peter?" Like Pepper and Natasha, Stephen had been watching the boy closely, and hadn't missed the change of expression. "What is it?"

"Some kind of pressure…" he said.

He could feel the Mind stone, now. Not painfully so, but he was definitely aware of its proximity. It was aware of his, as well, because there was a sudden sensation of cheerful greeting, and he felt the thing connect with both the cloak and Alec, like old friends saying hello to each other.

"Is it hurting you?" he asked, just as Natasha raised her hand to tell Tony to stop.

Peter raised his, shaking his head and looking at her and then at Strange.

"I'm okay. It's just weird. Kind of like saying hello – like the cloak does. Only stronger."

"If you're feeling it at half a mile, then I'd say it's _considerably_ stronger," Strange pointed out.

"It doesn't _hurt_, though," he assured them – especially Pepper.

"_We're here…"_ Tony's voice came through, clearly. _"What do you think, Stephen?"_

The sorcerer raised his hand to reply on his own watch – after running the palm against Peter's forehead, cheek and jaw – and then checking Peter's eyes.

"He _seems_ fine, Tony."

"I _am_ fine."

"_It worked."_

The reply was amused, and it made Peter smile.

"_Don't sound so shocked. I told you I knew what I was doing."_

"It's permanent?"

"Yup. You can now get close to the stones – not just the Mind stone. If there is more than one, however, the effect is multiplied, so I wouldn't advise gathering them up, or anything…"

"Why would I do that?"

"Because they're very pretty when they're together. People have been wanting to make a set for eons."

"I think it's safe to let them meet," Strange told Tony, unaware of the conversation going on beside him.

"Should he be out of bed, though?" Pepper asked. "He's still recovering from the surgery."

"An hour or two won't hurt him," the doctor assured her. "Under normal circumstances, I would have suggested getting him on his feet, today, anyway. We'll be careful, though," he added, looking at Peter. "No sudden movements, and no falling."

"Yeah."

"_We'll be in the lounge,"_ Tony told them.

"And we'll be there in a few minutes." He looked at the others, and they could tell he still wasn't completely convinced. "Shall we?"

OOOOOO

Vision was well known to all of the Avengers. Best known to Bruce and Tony, since they – technically – created him, but the others knew who he was, and he knew them. Carol Danvers didn't know him, however, and was watching him with interest once she'd been introduced. Wong had had a chance to say hello to Wanda – who he'd met once before, when they'd gone to Asgard and bullied Loki – and the rest were all sitting around a couple of tables pulled together, discussing the Skrull when a slight commotion at the entrance drew everyone's attention.

They looked over and saw Peter walking gingerly into the room, flanked by Pepper on one side and Natasha on the other. Strange was following, carrying Nutmeg and clearly not enthralled at the fact.

Vision had been seated by Tony, but he stood when Tony did, and turned to be introduced. The stone in the center of his forehead flared, brilliantly, for a moment, and Tony tensed, watching Peter, closely. The boy didn't do more than pale, slightly, though, and he smiled, somewhat shyly, as he walked over to meet the one person that he'd never thought he'd get a chance to meet in person.

"Peter…" Tony said, acting as host, and also curious about the meeting of the two. "This is Vision. Vision? Peter."

The construct held his hand out as was common for humans, he knew, and he affected a smile.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, finally, Peter," he said. "Wanda has told me much about you."

The boy smiled, too, looking at Wanda, who had an odd look on her face. He was aware of some kind of communication going on in his mind. An introduction, of sorts, between Alec and the gentle red haze that he could always attribute to her when she was using her abilities. He wasn't even sure that he was invited to the conversation going on in his mind, but May had taught him manners, so he turned his attention to the person by Tony.

"Hi." He said, shaking Vision's hand. "I've heard a lot about you, too."

"Wanda?" Natasha asked, noticing the look. "Are you alright?"

"Yes." She turned to Peter. "The creature in your mind is _very_ powerful…"

"Yeah."

Tony frowned.

"Wait. What? _Creature_?"

"Alec isn't human, Tony," she said. "I assumed you knew that."


	23. Chapter 23

"No." Tony's gaze went between Wanda and Peter and then back to Wanda. "I didn't know."

"I _did_," Peter told him. "He's an _alien_, right? They're not all going to look or be _human_. Besides, he mentioned how odd my appendix was."

"Was _he_ responsible for your appendicitis?" Tony asked.

There was a mental snort of amusement in Peter's mind while the boy shook his head, forcing himself not to smile, because Tony (and a few of the others) were clearly not in the mood for brevity, just then.

"No. Of course not. He just mentioned that it didn't make much sense to have an organ you didn't use – especially when it could turn on you and try to kill you, like mine did."

"Huh." Tony looked at Wanda. "You can see the thing?"

"_The thing is called Alec,"_ came an annoyed protest in Peter's mind, but Wanda didn't correct Tony. His concern was palpable and he wasn't the only one waiting for her response.

They didn't know or trust Alec, but the all knew and trusted _her_ – and knew that she could get into the minds of those around her, which would presumably include aliens.

"I don't see him, Tony," she told him. "But, yes, I feel him."

"Is he hurting Peter?" Pepper asked, unable to stop herself.

"No. All I can feel from him is the willingness to help." She smiled at Peter. "He can't hide himself from me – no mater how powerful he is."

"Did he really wear Stephen's cloak?"

"Yes."

"And he's not some evil plot by Loki – or anyone else?"

"No. He doesn't know who Loki is."

"_Technically, I do now, since I took the memory from your mind,"_ Alec told Peter. "But that's beside the point."

"Does he hurt, Peter?" Clint asked.

The boy shook his head, touched, because he knew it was genuine concern that had them all so worried.

"No. I'm okay. Really."

"I want to take a look at these skrull," Wanda said.

"Good. I _want_ you to," Tony agreed.

"I want _Peter_ there, as well."

Which made several expressions darken a little, but honestly didn't surprise any of them.

"It's perfectly safe," Stephen reminded them all in the silence that followed the statement. "They're contained."

"The sooner we know what's going on, the better," Carol added, standing up. She wasn't as emotionally invested in Peter as the others were, and while he seemed to be a fine young man, she was willing to use him, if needed, to learn what the skrull were up to. "Especially if we need to worry about more of them coming."

Tony looked at Nick, once more accepting the fact that the man knew Danvers and trusted her.

"Wanda? Did _you_ need to do the interrogation?" he asked. "Or can we let Captain Danvers here run it? She's more familiar with these things than we are."

Normally it would be Natasha doing the interrogation – even if it was aliens. But Tony wanted Romanoff to be able to concentrate on protecting Peter. Especially since they weren't going to be able to have a lot of people in on the interrogation.

"I just need to be close to them, I don't need to talk to them."

"And we know _they_ can't get into people's heads?" he verified. "I don't want to risk any of you…"

"They can't," Danvers confirmed. "Only by simming someone – and that's off the table, now."

"Alright, then." Tony took charge, like he normally did. He looked at Steve. "Danvers, Wanda, vision, Romanoff and Peter."

"And myself," Strange added.

"Yeah." Everyone else could watch by way of Friday recording everything and feeding that to a display in an adjoining room. He looked at Danvers. "Don't get fancy, okay? We just want to know what they want and if there are more of them hanging around."

She nodded.

"Are we ready?"

Peter eased himself out of the chair that he'd taken, and found Wanda's hand under his elbow, supporting him. Tony took the other side.

"Do you need Nutmeg?" Pepper asked, uncertainly.

She still didn't completely understand the way the bond between the alien in Peter's head, the kitten and the boy worked – and to judge by the uncertainty in the others' expressions, she wasn't the only one.

"I don't know," Tony admitted, looking to Peter for guidance – or _Alec_, to be more precise.

Peter shook his head at an inner prompting.

"No. We're good, I think."

Tony took Wanda's place beside Peter, his hand supporting his son as they walked toward the room where the skrull were being held. The others were trailing behind, or walking ahead of them, but Pepper had moved to walk on Peter's other side for as far as she could go with them.

"How are you holding up?" Tony asked the boy, softly, concern lacing his expression. "Is it hurting you?"

Peter shook his head.

"It's _there_," he told them. "I can feel it. It's so powerful, and it's scary knowing what it could do to me if it wasn't being blocked – or muted, or whatever Alec is doing to it. But it's not _hurting_ me. Not even a little," he added, trying to make Pepper look less concerned.

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. It's like a much more powerful version of the cloak. The same kind of sensation. I'm fine."

"Just in case, though," Tony said. "Stay close to Stephen while we're in there, okay? He can get you away faster than any of the rest of us."

And Peter hadn't tried moving himself, short of using the teleportation stone.

"I will."

OOOOOOO

The guards who were watching the skrull all looked over when the door to the small conference room opened, but none of them were surprised by their arrival. They moved out of the room, giving it over to the newcomers, and Cayn and Kar watched as they filed into the small space. They both frowned when they saw Danvers, but their attention was on Stark, having recognized him as the one in charge.

"How about letting us up?" Cayn suggested. "My arms are getting sore from being in the same position for so long."

Wanda looked over at Danvers.

"Just ask your questions. I'll get the answers as they come up."

"_She's powerful,"_ Alec said to Peter, who was forced to sit on the edge of the table, his energy flagging just a little.

"_Yeah."_

He knew that Alec didn't need Peter to give him Wanda's history. If he wasn't getting it from Peter's memories, then he might have been able to get it directly from Wanda's. Or maybe the Mind stone would tell him. Either way, he turned his attention to Carol, once everyone had found a place to stand, and Stephen and Natasha had joined him at the table, one on either side of him.

Danvers moved to stand in front of the seated Skrull, with Tony beside her.

"Hey, guys…"

Cayn rolled his eyes.

"We're not telling you anything."

"Why are you here?" she asked, ignoring him.

"They're after the power stone," Wanda answered, her entire being glowing slightly red. Both Skrull looked at her, shocked. "They spread the word that a rogue skrull was coming to earth, assuming – correctly – that you would come to seek him out. Then they assumed they would follow you to Nick, sim someone and get him to tell them where it was."

Danvers frowned.

"Why do you want the stone?" she asked, but everyone looked at Wanda for the reply.

"They aren't trying to get it for themselves," Wanda replied. "Someone wants them."

"Who?" Tony asked.

"They don't know," Wanda said, once more pulling the answers directly from the minds of the skrull. "Someone a lot higher up than they are. They suspect it's the collector."

Tony looked over at Strange, recognizing the name from a previous conversation. The sorcerer didn't say anything, though.

"Anyone else with them?" Danvers asked, looking at Wanda."

She nodded.

"They have three others on a ship, hiding behind the moon. If they don't check in within the allotted time, they'll come looking for them, to decide if they're compromised."

"Which, they obviously are," Danvers said, looking at Tony, to see if he had any questions for them.

He just shrugged, though. Aliens were not his specialty, after all.

"_You realize they know about the Mind stone and the Time stone, now…" Alec_ said to Peter. "_They can't be allowed to return with that knowledge. Your planet will be overrun with seekers."_

"Oh."

He hadn't meant to say it aloud, but everyone looked at him, which told him that he had.

"Oh, _what_?" Tony asked, worried.

Peter hesitated.

"They know about the Mind stone," he said, looking at Vision. "_And_ the Time stone, too, now – because _Steve_ did, and it's not something Cayn would have forgotten, even when he was done pretending to be him."

"Who's _Cayn_?" Carol asked.

Wanda pointed at one of the skrulls.

"He's right," she agreed. "We can't let them leave here with the memories of the stones intact."

"If we kill them, their friends will just come looking for them," Natasha pointed out, speaking up for the first time. "Then we'll have to take _them_ out, as well – and who _knows_ who else will come." She looked at the group. "One of you mind manipulators must be able to do something about memories."

"Hey," Cayn looked highly offended. "You can't just-"

"Do you want us to take the easy route and _kill_ you?" Romanoff asked, her eyes hard and her voice promising to do just that.

"No. _Of course not_. I'm just saying… we wouldn't tell anyone about the other stones."

Tony snorted in disbelief, and the sound was echoed in Peter's head by Alec. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Peter smiled, realizing that Alec and Tony were very different, but they were also very much alike.

"_Can you do anything about their memories?"_ he asked, silently.

"_No. I _heal_ the mind. But I'm not needed. Not for this."_

Wanda shrugged.

"I can't _wipe_ their minds – it doesn't exactly work that way. But, if you give me time, I could probably change their memories."

"Plant different ones?" Vision clarified.

"Yes."

Tony frowned.

"I don't really like the idea of screwing with someone's head – even aliens – but I don't have a better idea. Short of killing them outright." He glanced over at Peter. "Which we can't do, of course."

"_He really does love you, doesn't he?"_

"_Yeah."_

"So," Tony continued, unaware of the conversation. "Let's see what we can do. Unless someone else has a better idea?"

He waited, giving those watching in the other room a chance to come up with something and call in to communicate it, but no one did. Wanda shrugged, again.

"It might take a while."

Tony nodded.

"They're not going anywhere."


	24. Chapter 24

"They're just trying to frighten us," Cayn told Kar with a derisive sniff. "No one can change a memory."

"You'd better hope she figures it out," Romanoff said ominously as they all stood up to leave, Peter moving slowly, because he was beginning to flag, once more. "My way is easier."

"But _messier_," Wanda added.

Peter heard the conversation, but assumed it was Natasha's way of getting anything else out of the prisoners that she could, since he was – _mostly_ – sure that she wasn't planning on killing them. He glanced at her, though, as he let Tony and Pepper ease him to his feet and as if she understood what he was thinking – which he knew that she probably did) she winked at him with her head turned from their captives.

Which made him want to smile.

_"Don't do that or you'll ruin the ambience of the threat,"_ Alec cautioned. "_And then she _will _have to kill them."_

Peter didn't reply, trying to focus on making sure he didn't stumble over his shuffling feet as they left the room, and the SHIELD guards returned to watch the prisoners. The others – those had been watching from the other room – all met in the corridor.

"I doubt it's the collector," Wong said, almost immediately.

"Anyway to be sure?"

"It isn't," Peter said, just as Vision started to say the same thing.

Danvers frowned.

"And you know that how?"

"The Mind stone," Vision replied. "The collector wants all of them, but he's not martial. He won't send mercenaries after them. It's someone else."

"Is the Mind stone telling you who?" Tony asked both Vision and Peter.

Peter shook his head.

"It's not telling – or maybe they're somehow able to keep that information hidden."

"What does Alec say?" Clint asked, curiously.

"He doesn't know, either."

_"I have to be close to someone to know what they're thinking. This person isn't on your planet. Obviously."_

"Well, it wasn't a total loss," Steve said. "At least we know there aren't any rogue Skrull on the planet."

Danvers scowled at the reminder that she'd been played. It was obvious that she didn't like that, at all.

"There _could_ be," Fury pointed out. "Just not with this group. Which reminds me; what do we do about the ones hiding out, waiting for their friends?"

"Depends," Tony replied. "If they stay off the planet, nothing. We have the communicators these guys brought, right? No mental capabilities or any way for these two to warn the others what's going on?"

Wanda nodded.

"They're not mental heavyweights. They reply on their morphing abilities too much."

"With good reason," Clint said, shaking his head. "It's pretty impressive."

"_You_ saw through it," Natasha reminded him.

"If they'd done a little more homework, I might not have."

"Anyway. They stay away; nothing happens to them," Tony repeated. "They touch feet on the planet – especially if they come here – and they're gone, and whoever is looking for the stones going to be short a few flunkies."

He had to protect Peter and Pepper, after all.

"We should get Peter back to bed," Strange said, not missing the fact that he was drooping. "Unless your friend in your head has something to add?"

"_Anything?"_

"_No. You might remind them that their sanctum would be a tempting target, as well. And that with me to protect you from it, if it becomes necessary, Strange can wear the Time stone, now."_

"_Yeah… I'm not going to add that, right now. Tony's freaked out enough about the Mind stone being so close to me. I am, too, truthfully."_

"_I know."_ The reply was serious, but still confident. _"Don't be, though. You're standing right beside Vision, and nothing is happening, right?"_

"_I know. It's just pretty much a habit to be afraid of getting too close to it, now."_

Realizing that they were watching him, Peter shook his head.

"He said to remind you that the sanctum would be a tempting target, too."

"True." Wong shrugged. "We'll cast you Panzer Alrad spell over the place when we get back there."

"Not to mention, it has protections of its own," Strange added. "It wouldn't allow someone in if they didn't belong – and a simple morphing ability wouldn't hide the lack of ability to master magic – which luckily, you've confirmed won't carry over."

They definitely didn't need an alien loose in the sanctum - or on earth - pretending to be Wong and carrying around his potential. And what if they'd managed to copy Peter? With his abilities, it'd be impossible to hold him off if someone was able to get hold of him.

Wanda nodded her agreement, and Strange realized that she'd been following along with his train of thought.

"Exactly."

"The sooner the better, however," he said. "Wong and I will return together – just to make sure."

"Want some backup?" Steve asked. "Just in case there are some waiting close by?"

"It's not a bad idea, Stephen," Tony agreed. "I know you guys can handle pretty much anything, but you can't get into their minds like Wanda and Vision can. Why not take them with you to add a little security until you get your spell cast?"

Strange looked at Wong, who shrugged his acceptance.

"We'd appreciate it." What's the point of having Avengers as friends if you weren't willing to take advantage of their abilities at some point? "I'll portal them right back, once the spell is up."

The two agreed, and not too surprisingly, Natasha stepped forward, as well, silently offering her services. Strange put a hand on Peter's forehead.

"Put him to bed, Tony," he ordered. "He's almost done in, I think, and you might need him sooner than you know."

Tony nodded, a hand coming under Peter's arm to steady him, but they all watched as Wong created a portal to the sanctum and the magicians vanished into it with Wanda, Vision and Natasha joining them.

"That's a pretty handy trick," Danvers said, approvingly.

Tony nodded his agreement.

"I'm going to have my AI watching for any incoming ships – especially one that might come from somewhere behind the moon. I assume you have a way of watching for that as well?" he asked, gesturing with his free hand to the tech on her wrist.

"Of course."

"Let me know if you need me," Tony told Fury. "I'll be in Peter's room."

"We will."

The group split into two, then, and Tony and Pepper walked at Peter's best pace to get him back to his room, while the others went to see what they needed to do to ramp up the security around the compound – just in case. There were more skrull, after all, and they were close at hand. It was better to be ready for them if they came, than to assume they weren't going to.

"You look beat, son," Tony said, softly, as they reached Peter's quarters.

"Not _beat_," Peter said, sitting down with a sigh of relief. He was _tired_. Mentally from so many thoughts running through his mind - and he appreciated that Alec wasn't making himself known aside from a simple connection somewhere deep in his head. "Just a little sore and a bit worried."

"About what, sweetheart?" Pepper asked, pressing a kiss against his cheek as she pushed him carefully down onto the bedding, covering him with a blanket and then tucking Nutmeg in the crook of his arm.

"Aliens and shapeshifters and talking trees," Peter answered, closing his eyes, almost immediately.

Tony frowned, pushing his bangs back, tenderly, and sitting beside Pepper, watching with her as their son fell asleep.

"Did he say something about talking trees?"

She just shrugged.

"I need some coffee before I can even consider that concept."

"I'll be right back," Tony told her, brushing a kiss against her temple as he got to his feet, telling her with the gesture that he'd take care of it. "Hold down the fort."

"I'll do that."

Since the fort was asleep, and even the kitten was sleeping; it wasn't too difficult.

She smiled and watched him go.


	25. Chapter 25

_It was the planet dream. He knew it well, because the Mind stone wasn't very original and once it had figured out what he responded best to, that was what it tended to plant into his mind. Which was fine, really, with Peter. It was relaxing. Then it changed. _

_It was a particular planet. Peter stirred, knowing something was going to happen and not wanting to watch – even in his dream – but felt someone reassuring him in his mind._

"_Easy, buddy. I need you to watch, so I can see what's going on."_

"_I'm afraid."_

"_I know. I can feel it. And you have good reason to be. But this already happened. We're not making it happen, we're just watching so we can see what it was."_

"_I need to move."_

_He needed Pepper and Tony._

"_No. They're here, with you. You're fine. Stay asleep, Peter, so we can see what's going on and why the stone is so angry…"_

_Peter hesitated, but then nodded, allowing himself to be soothed, and the planet was once more in the foremost of his thoughts. Not even all that large, but populated. The stone was stolen. People were killed trying to keep it from being taken, but the being was more powerful, and his will greater. He took the stone with a flash of triumph and excitement and Peter shuddered, even in his sleep, as the mind of the being was laid open for the briefest of moments as he contemplated the stone he now possessed._

"_No…"_

"_Shh, I know. It already happened. Keep remembering that."_

_There was a flare. A surge of power that Peter felt an echo of, even through space and time, and the planet was levelled and all the people on it were lost in a single moment. The being holding the stone stood on the desolate remains and flexed his hand, looking at it with wonder as an idea formed._

"_Well… shit…"_

_The scene changed before Peter could rouse himself, and suddenly there was a plane. A in space._

"_Space ship, buddy, not a plane."_

_The people on it were laughing and joking, for the most part. A human guy, a green woman – another hulk? Peter wondered as he watched. A blue colored guy and-_

"_Is that a racoon wearing clothes?"_

"_So it would seem."_

"_Seen one before?"_

"_Nope. Did you notice the little plant is moving, too?"_

"_What are they?"_

"_No clue. But that's fine. We're along for the ride, nothing more."_

"_What's going on?"_

"_The Mind stone is reacting to the Power stone's anger and is connecting to everything associated with it, recently, to find the reason."_

"_Why is it angry?"_

"_You saw what happened. That _isn't _what it was created for."_

"_What do we do?"_

"_You relax, so I can eavesdrop."_

"_I don't want to watch any-"_

"_I need you to, Peter," Alec interrupted him. "_You're _the connection to the Mind stone, not me. I can only see what you see this far away. I won't let it hurt you. I promise."_

_The boy reacted to the reassurance and took a purely mental deep breath and relaxed, once more._

OOOOOO

Vision and Wanda returned from the sanctum almost three hours after they'd left. They arrived by means of a portal, with Wong, and only _after_ Vision communicated to Tony that he was coming, so they could watch Peter for any reaction to his return. When none was reported, Vision relaxed enough to walk with the others to the small conference room by the room the prisoners were being kept. There they found Danvers, Clint, Steve and Fury.

The four were sitting around a table, mainly making small talk or discussing schedules for the compound personnel while watching a display. It was video footage of the room next door. None of them really trusted that something wouldn't happen – even with the prisoners held fast with Wong's spell – so they were going to be right there, just in case they were needed.

"Everything alright?" Steve asked, looking up at their arrival.

Wong nodded.

"The spell is set. The sanctum is guarded, now, and nothing appears to be out of place. Strange is double-checking the library for anything that might help them expand the spell over the entire planet – for future protection."

Danvers looked pleased at the notion, but Clint snorted.

"Can you imagine if there _are_ any of these guys hanging out here, right now? Not here at the _compound_, obviously, but say one is posing as a dentist or something. The spell pops to effect and suddenly little Billy finds a green-scaled lizard alien with its hands in his mouth. That's the stuff of nightmares, right there…"

Fury nodded.

"It's not fun to see someone that you think is someone you know suddenly become an alien," he agreed. "Even when you're expecting it."

"Anything from the Skrull near the moon?" Wong asked, curiously.

"Still hiding. We don't know how long they were supposed to give the advance party, but we can't count on it being too much longer. Are we ready to send them back with a new set of thoughts?"

Now it was Wanda's turn to nod, and her hand went to rest on Vision's forearm.

"I'm ready. Just let me know what you want them to walk away thinking."

Fury turned to Danvers.

"You're the expert on these guys. What do you think?"

"We'll want to keep it simple," she said. "Not because they're idiots – they _aren't_, as a species, I mean. But if it gets too elaborate, they might make their pals suspicious."

"Simple," Fury said. "They copied Steve, which isn't a stretch, since one of them _did_, he and I discussed some intel that the stone has been destroyed."

"Or moved somewhere, else," Wong suggested. "Destruction of an infinity stone would leave a power surge of epic proportions, so they'd _know_ it didn't happen – at least, not _here_."

"Moved somewhere else would work better," Carol agreed.

"I don't know enough about space to leave a suggestion for where it went," Wanda admitted.

"It's better to not say someplace in particular," Steve said. "We don't want to put someone else in danger just to get them off our backs. Can you make it vague?"

Wanda nodded, looking relieved.

"Yes."

"Let's do it, then," Fury said, standing up and looking at the display, once more. "Before they start bitching about wanting bathroom breaks or meals."

Steve muttered under his breath about language, and Fury snorted, softly, amused.

"Let me call Tony and see if he wants to be here for this," he said. "Just in case."

OOOOOOO

Tony was lounging in Peter's bed when his watch chimed, gently. He set his tablet aside, automatically checking to see if the noise had disturbed Peter, who was sleeping beside him, his kitten rolled into a furry ball on the pillow by his head and the little Ironman doll tucked tightly against his stomach. He looked miserable, but he didn't wake.

Pepper looked up from her phone, setting it aside, as well.

"Nick?" he answered, speaking softly. "Everything alright?"

"_Yeah. Miss Maximoff is getting ready to do her memory modification thing, and I was wondering if you wanted to be here for it?"_

Tony looked down at Peter, again. He really did want to be there to make sure the Skrull threat was taken care of, but Peter had been sleeping restlessly, and had even been mumbling in his sleep, sounding as if he was uncertain, or afraid. Many years before, he might have leaped right up and headed for the little room. Now, however, he had different priorities, and they were both in this room with him. He smiled at Pepper, winking, and shook his head.

"No. Go ahead. Let me know if you need anything."

"_Will do."_

The call ended, and Tony picked up his tablet, again.

"You could have gone," Pepper told him, well aware that he'd been tempted.

He shook his head.

"I'm fine, honey. I'd rather be _here_, right now. Besides," he held up the tablet. "Friday can grab the feed from the room and we can watch."

Just in case.


	26. Chapter 26

The door opened and the guards once more were replaced by Danvers, Wanda, Natasha and Wong. The rest were watching from the other room as they had before.

Cayn tensed, realizing that something was up from just how serious they all looked. He tried to struggle, again, and as he'd found every other time, whatever was keeping him and Kar still wasn't relaxing its grip, just then.

Maximoff walked over to stand in front of them without preamble, her hands and countenance seeming to glow red.

"Hey," the skrull said, his voice at its silkiest – although there was definitely an edge of concern underlying it. "_Seriously_, guys. We don't need to do this."

"Relax," Maximoff replied. "This won't hurt, at all. I promise."

Before either skrull could say another word – and neither of them looked _relaxed_ – she was moving her hands, slightly, and the alien eyes of the two prisoners grew distant, looking at something only they (and Wanda) could see. Everyone else in the room was silent, but in the room next door Vision had closed his eyes and Nick looked up from the display to glance over at him.

"You okay?"

Vision didn't realize that he was being spoken to, but he opened his eyes when Clint reached over and tapped his shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Are you alright?" Nick repeated.

"Yes. The Mind stone is very active – between Wanda's connection with it at the moment, and its communication with Peter – as well as the others, it is diverting my attention."

"It can do that?" Steve asked, curiously. "Even to _you_?"

Vision nodded.

"Of course. It just affects me differently."

"It's communicating with Peter?" Clint asked, curiously.

"Yes."

"Like, really _speaking_ to him?"

"No. It doesn't speak – even to _me_, and it's stuck in my head, continuously. It's very excited, right now, though. It has long had the connection with the boy, but by reason of safety, it has had to mute the contact to keep from hurting him. With the alien entity known to you as Alec protecting Peter, the Mind stone is able to fully connect with him – although it is being cautious to not give him too many images at once."

"What kind of images?" Fury asked.

"At the moment, it appears to be connected with the Power stone."

"The what? Wait – another of the infinity stones?"

"Correct."

"What's it-"

"How do we know we can trust this Alec guy to protect Peter?" Clint asked, unable to hide his suspicion – or his concern. "What's to stop him from just leaving him high and dry, all at once, too close to the Mind stone to stop it from hurting him?"

"The creature has saved Peter once already," Vision told them. "And it has-"

"What? When?" Nick asked, interrupting.

"When the boy was turned into a child, it was this alien's memory that the Mind stone connected with in order to provide Peter with the spell to transform back into his own self."

"Really?" Clint looked impressed, despite his misgivings. "Wh-"

"She's starting," Steve interrupted.

All eyes turned to the display – except Vision's. He simply closed his, having no trouble following along with what was going on without watching.

OOOOO

It didn't take any time at all, really, before the red haze faded from the room and Wanda put her hands down. She looked over at Wong.

"They have a lapse of two minutes in their memory for you to transport them elsewhere. It would be best if they were in the car that they drove onto the compound grounds when they come out of the trance they're in, now."

"It's in the garage," Steve supplied, looking at Wong.

"Anyplace in particular outside of the grounds?" the sorcerer asked, not annoyed at them assuming that he would be willing to provide the instant transportation for the group.

He expected to be needed – which was why he was there. Besides, he was the one who had set the immobilization spell, he was the one who had to free them from it.

"Anywhere there are a lot of trees near the edge of the river," she replied. "It's where they hid their space shuttle."

Wong nodded, stepping forward.

"Ready?"

"Yes."

She vanished from the room with the sorcerer – and the prisoners. There was maybe a pause of a minute, and the two were back, only now, they were alone.

"Where are they?" Danvers asked, curiously.

"We left them in the car on the service road, pointing away from the compound," Wong said, looking at the door to the room when the others joined them now that the prisoners were gone.

"Vision will watch them until they are gone," Wanda said. "And can tell us if something happens that goes out of our planned intentions."

Vision nodded.

"What memories did you give them?" Clint asked, curiously.

"Wait," Fury interrupted. "Before you answer that, let's go someplace more comfortable and talk about it. _Tony_ can have his AI listen in-" he said that loud enough so that Stark wouldn't be able to miss it. "Unless he wants to come join us, and that way you only have to tell the tale once."

They all agreed to that suggestion, and headed for the lounge.

OOOOOO

Pepper looked down at Peter, who was asleep with his head resting on Tony's leg. They were all three in the boy's bed, but Peter was the only one asleep. The two adults had been watching the tablet in Tony's hand, keeping track of the progress the Avengers were making with their prisoners – without leaving Peter's side. She was impressed by how decisively they had all acted, once they'd decided on what their plan was going to be - and grateful that they had such incredible allies to call on for assistance.

"You can go talk to them, if you want to hear it first-hand," she said. "I can stay with him."

He nodded.

"I know. But this is fine. I'd rather be with you guys, right now. In case he wakes up needing us both for some reason."

Pepper knew the whole alien inside Peter's head thing had Tony unsettled. It was unsettling to _her_, too, but so far all the alien – _Alec_, she reminded herself – had done was protect Peter from being injured by the Mind stone. That right there was both wonderful _and_ terrifying. Wonderful since it was once less concern they would have for their son, now. If he didn't feel the damaging power of the Mind stone – or the Time stone, presumably – then they didn't need to worry about Peter running afoul of them, sometime.

Maybe it would keep the _Bifrost_ from hurting him, too.

Of course, the idea of someone else being inside Peter's mind was terrifying. They didn't know if Alec had an ulterior agenda, or not – and that was what really had her worried. And had Tony worried, as well. But the appendix thing, and the aliens who could shapeshift had to come, first – at least at the moment, since Peter seemed to be safe enough to allow it.

She knew if Alec was posing any _obvious_ threat or injury to Peter, Tony would be working with Strange, Wanda and Vision on how to get him out of Peter's head, immediately. As it was… she looked down at the sleeping boy, again, and brushed her fingers lightly along his shoulder, wishing that he'd wake so she could hug him, close, but wanting him to sleep because she knew that he needed it.

As if he'd been following her thoughts, Tony reached out and touched her arm, and she looked over at him. He was watching her, as if he understood what was going through her thoughts – and maybe he _did_. They knew each other very well, after all.

"Don't worry, honey, we'll get him healthy, and then get this Alec thing straightened out." He held up the tablet, then, and asked Friday to hook into the feed from the cameras in the lounge (which wasn't something that he normally watched, but he was willing to make an exception in order to eavesdrop on the conversation about the skrulls) "Let's find out what Wanda did to those guys…"

OOOOOOO

"This place is ridiculous…"

Kar nodded, slapping his neck as yet another insect bit him, and looking at all the trees.

"We should have moved on this faster. I told you not to wait for the others to finish-"

"A day or two wouldn't have mattered; the stone would still have already been moved," Cayn snapped, annoyed at being told I told you so by someone who was junior to him. "We'll have to try and get a lead on its whereabouts back home. My contacts-"

"Were wrong, this time," Kar pointed out as they found the ship and uncovered it. He was glad it was getting dark; they wouldn't have to worry about some stupid human out walking around at night in the forest spotting them as they did their preflight on the craft and sent a message to the others. "We should find them and take back the money you gave them."

"They were right," Cayn said. "It _was_ here. It's just our bad luck that the rumors beat us here and they panicked and sent it away without being told where it was going."

He started the engines just as a response to his message came through.

"_Any success?"_

"No. It was here, but they sent it off planet – and no one that we morphed – or spoke with – knew where it went. We're on our way back, now. Prepare the ship."

"_We're leaving?"_

"No reason to stay. The stone is gone – and there's nothing else on this stupid rock to keep us, here."

"_Yes, sir."_

The communications ended, and Kar touched the controller that sent the little scout ship into the night sky and then out of the atmosphere. Then he looked over at his commander.

"My head feels odd. You think we should have eaten the indigenous food?"

"Now that you mention it, mine does, too. Probably should stick to our own rations, next planet we go to. Never know what kind of weird things local fauna can do to our systems." He smiled, feeling superior for having made such an astute observation. "Write that down somewhere, Kar."

The underling rolled his eyes.

"Yes, sir."

Without another word, or any further chatter, they went to meet up with the slightly bigger ship that was hiding out behind the planet's moon.

It was definitely time to leave.


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: I go back to work Monday, so the spoiling is over - which isn't to say I won't be writing, but chances are there will be very few days that you get more than one update. (Sucks, but I'm excited to be deemed healthy enough to get back to work)

OOOOOO

Stephen and Natasha joined the small group in the lounge somewhere around halfway through Wanda's explanation of what she'd done to the memories of the Skrull. They didn't ask for her to start over, well aware that they could get the bare bones of it from one of the others, later. Instead, they simply sat down at the table and listened to the remainder of the story, which seemed to have a satisfying ending – at least as far as the Skrull were concerned.

"How do we know they're _really_ gone, though?" Steve asked, clearly not completely convinced that the plan had worked.

"Even more, how do we know they won't _come back_?" Clint added, glumly.

Fury shrugged.

"Let them come. Danvers said it best, earlier. Their strength lies in their ability to shapeshift and we can take that out of the equation. In fact, we already have, right?" he asked, looking at the sorcerers.

"Here and at the sanctum," Wong agreed. "The rest of the planet might take a bit more doing."

The former SHIELD director nodded.

"There you go, then. It's one thing to be fooled if another Steve Rogers comes up and says hi before trying to slit your throat. It's another matter, entirely if you're dumb enough to let a green lizard-looking guy do it."

"You _deserve_ to get your throat slit," Natasha added.

Danvers smirked. She was the new person to this group (only knowing Fury, after all) but she liked the way they thought. Some were a little more direct than others, but they were honest people and clearly worked well, together.

She stood up, catching everyone's attention.

"Where are you going?" Fury asked, curiously.

"I'm going to go make sure their ship really left and didn't find a different celestial body to hide behind."

"You're coming back, though, right?" Steve asked.

She nodded.

"Yes. Just a quick trip around the solar system. I'll be back in an hour or so."

"I'll walk out with you."

Rogers got up, as well, and the others watched them go, chatting amicably as they left the lounge, and then Vision turned to Fury.

"It would behoove you to supply your allies with the same capabilities for determining if they have any of these skrulls in their midst."

"Not _just_ our allies, really," Natasha said. "I think it's one of those things that everyone should be able to guard against."

"The skrull were not happy about being here," Wanda said. "Earth is a place to avoid if they can. The race has no designs on conquering our planet."

"But they might be working for someone who does," Fury said. Of course, he was suspicious of pretty much everything and everyone. Present company being the rare exclusion. "We didn't find out who wanted the stone, right?"

"True."

Fury looked at Strange.

"This spell… How far can you make it reach?"

"I'm not certain," the sorcerer admitted. "But it isn't a good idea to just cast it and let things fall where they may," he added. "If you want it cast further afield, it wouldn't be a bad idea to give some warning, first – just in case there _are_ any skrulls embedded in other places around the planet."

"Can you imagine how people would react if someone they thought was human suddenly appeared to them as an alien? And _clearly_ an alien, too, not just pointed ears or odd-shaped eyes…"

"It'd be chaos," Strange said. "My suggestion would be to start small. And with countries with tightly controlled populations, but allies."

"Such as…?"

"_Wakanda_," Natasha said, instantly.

Stephen nodded.

"It's a good place to start, anyway." It was his turn to shrug. "I don't know how far we can cast it – or how it would affect one of us if we tried to stretch it beyond the normal area of concentration. Let us do some study on it, first."

"Fair enough. And thank you, by the way, for your assistance, today."

Strange and Wong both nodded.

"What now?" Clint asked.

"Let's wait until Danvers returns," Fury told them. "If she gives us the all clear that they're gone, then really all that's left for _us_ to do is find something for dinner. Crisis averted."

"Again," Romanoff said, coming off far more nonchalantly than the events of the day had actually left her. They still had to get Peter sorted out, of course. As well as the other issue. "No way we can figure out who's after the stones?" she asked Vision.

"I'll work on it," he replied. "But although the Mind stone is connected to me, it doesn't always share its information with me – and this might turn out to be one of those instances. Either because it doesn't understand what I'm asking – or because it doesn't care to share the knowledge with me. It can be fairly aloof, at times."

"It likes _Peter_," Clint reminded them with a shrug of his own. "Maybe between the three of you – you Wanda and Peter – it'll throw us a bone."

"I'll let you know if we learn anything."

"Good enough," Nick said. "Let's eat." He looked at Strange. "You're invited to stay for dinner, you know."

"We accept." He stood up, though, and Fury wasn't the only one to frown. "Where are you going?"

"To check on Peter."

OOOOOOO

"Should we be worried about this?" Pepper asked Tony.

They both had been watching the live feed of the conversation in the lounge when it began, but they had been distracted by Peter. The boy was still sleeping, but his dreams – if he was having any – were making him restless, and he wasn't sleeping, quietly.

He muttered something, and shifted in the bed, his brow furrowing and then literally trying to bury his face into the space between Tony's side and the pillows Stark was resting against. He'd only stilled when Tony had handed Pepper the tablet and taken Peter into his arms, completely, gathering him up and bringing the boy's hand up to his jaw to hold it against his beard. Then, he'd muttered something about not wanting to watch, and had quieted.

"He's had bad dreams before," Tony reminded her. "We're here, so he's not going to sleepwalk on us."

She had to agree, but she frowned, running her hand along Peter's back, which was all she could touch with him pressed so tightly against Tony.

"I want Stephen to take a look at him, though, when he has a chance," Pepper told him. "Or Davidson. Just to make sure it isn't the aftermath of the appendix surgery bothering him."

Before Tony could nod his agreement, Stephen walked into the room. Pepper looked over at him, and then at Tony.

"That's uncanny."

Despite her concern (and his), he smiled, slightly.

"We're uncanny people," he reminded her. "Stephen? Peter's been sleeping restlessly. Would you mind taking a look at him? Just to make sure we don't have to worry about ripped internal stitches, or anything? _Pepper's_ worried about him."

"Pepper is, huh?" the surgeon echoed, walking over to the bed and waiting for Pepper to slide out of his way since she was on that side of the bed.

"Yeah. You know… it's that maternal thing driving her hormones crazy… check him for us, will you? Just to give her peace of mind."

"Keep it up, and _you'll_ get a piece of my mind," Pepper warned, feeling a little better for the banter – as he'd intended, she knew.

Both of them fell silent, though, and watched as Strange checked Peter's bandages.


	28. Chapter 28

"Hey…"

Peter woke with a hand resting on his shoulder, two warm bodies pressed between him and a calm presence in his mind all working together to make sure he didn't come awake with a start. Instead, he opened his eyes, slowly, and looked around without moving his head from the pillow.

He saw Tony, first, and blinked, owlishly.

"It's morning?"

"It's late evening," Tony replied, speaking softly. "But we were told if you didn't wake to eat dinner, it wouldn't hurt to wake you to feed you a late night snack – and get you on your feet for a little bit."

"I'm _tired_. Not hungry."

And certainly didn't want to get out of bed. He was warm. And comfortable.

"I know. But Ironpig misses you, so why don't you and I go visit him while your mom gets us something to eat? _Then_ you can go back to sleep."

He heard a soft chuckle and turned his head to see Pepper looking down at him, as well.

"Hey, mom…"

She smiled, her hand brushing his cheek. Peter noticed that Nutmeg was in her other hand, contentedly purring against her breast.

"Hi, sweetheart. How do you feel?"

"Tired…"

"I _know_," she crooned, and now it was her palm cupping his cheek, and her expression so filled with love that Peter thought his heart would burst with happiness that anyone could look at him like that. "We need you on your feet for a while, though. Stephen said it would keep you from having any complications…"

"What does _he _know?"

He heard a mental snort of amusement, and was surprised, at first, at the reminder that he wasn't alone in his own mind. Alec was unobtrusive and easy to forget when he wasn't talking to him.

"_You have enough to worry about,"_ was the response to that thought. _"I'm _here_, but I'm not going to be constantly pestering you. Only when you need me to be. Right now, though, you need to focus on them. They need you."_

Pepper smiled.

"What does a _surgeon_ know about avoiding post surgery complications…?" she asked, facetiously. "We'll have to ask, later." She leaned over and kissed his cheek, and then set Nutmeg on his chest. "Get up, Peter. Go visit Ironpig so dad can check on him and make sure he hasn't eaten the latest sweater he bought him, and then come back and eat. Okay?"

"Yeah. Okay."

She didn't tell him what to do so often that he was willing to defy her, after all. And he secretly loved her referring to Tony as _dad_. He sat up, feeling a jab of an ache from his gut, but nothing too bad. Not even enough to make him do more than wince as she got off his bed and turned for the door. And then turned back.

"Ironpig doesn't come back to bed with him," she said to Tony.

"What?" He gave her an innocent look; eyes wide and without guile. "Of course not, honey. I wouldn't dream of it."

Pepper didn't look convinced, but she left, and Peter smiled as he scooped his kitten up with one hand and used the other to ease himself out of his bed, with Tony now hovering close at hand – just in case.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, solicitously. "Dr. Davidson left some pain pills – just in case – and Stephen said it'd be alright to dose you, if you needed it."

"No. I mean; it _hurts_, but not too much. I'm okay."

Tony reached for a sweatshirt hanging off a hook by Peter's bedroom door and handed it to him, taking Nutmeg so Peter could put it on.

"How do you feel?" he asked as they left his room, and then his quarters, Peter dressed, now, in sweats, a sweatshirt and bare-footed, while Tony was in jeans and a polo. "You didn't seem to be sleeping very well…"

"No. I had a lot of weird – and bad – dreams," he admitted.

"About Alec?"

"No. About planets."

"The ones you used to have?" Tony asked, concerned. "That the mind stone would send you before it realized what it was doing?"

"No. It started out like the peaceful one, but it wasn't like that – _or_ like the old ones. This one was focused on one particular place. I think it was more about the power stone."

Tony frowned.

"Another stone is sending you dreams?"

"No. It was the Mind stone. I think. I'm pretty sure."

"What does _Alec_ say?" Tony asked.

"He says not to worry about it, right now, and get something to eat."

Peter shrugged.

The billionaire hesitated, but then shrugged. His job was to keep Peter from stressing when he already had so many things that he was dealing with. If the dead alien wizard in his head was telling Peter to eat – when that was exactly what Tony wanted him to do – then who was _he_ to argue with him?

"He's not hurting you?"

He had to make sure, though. Otherwise they would be looking for a priest for an exorcism or something.

"No. I think he's hanging back a little, trying to keep from freaking me out."

"Then we'll take his advice and get you fed," Tony said, approving of that.

"What did I miss while I was asleep?" Peter asked, curiously. "Did Wanda take care of the skrulls?"

"She _did_," he confirmed, putting a hand on Peter's shoulder. "And not permanently, either. They were given memories of them turning into someone else – not someone with a lot of knowledge about the Avengers, or the stones here on earth – and then being told that we heard the rumor about someone looking for the stone and we sent it off planet, and that we don't know where it went."

"Did it work?"

"Seems to have," he confirmed as they turned the final corner to reach the gym. "Danvers went into space to do a flyby through the solar system and when she returned, she said they were gone."

"Maybe they were cloaked…"

Tony smiled.

"They're skrull, not _Klingons_."

Peter rolled his eyes.

"Maybe they were shielded or hiding from her."

"They probably were – the first time. But she has some pretty good tech, and says they can't hide their ships from her." He shrugged. "Since she can fly and shoots power beams from her hands, I'm going to assume she can tell if there are any alien ships hiding in the area."

"Where's everyone now?" Peter asked. "She didn't leave, did she?"

"No." he smiled, walking over to Ironpig's enclosure – which had been transformed from the initial small pen into something more fitting – at least as far as Tony was concerned.

It was completely enclosed by a sturdy metal framework – to protect from any basketballs, volley balls or other sporting items that might fly that direction – but under the framework was a small red and gold house, something like a dog house, only larger. There was real grass, carefully brought in and nurtured with a sun lamp, all around it to the edge of the metal works, and a food and water dish – both of which were constantly checked by whoever happened to be in the area at any given time.

"She's going to hang out here for a few days. Maybe even longer." He opened the enclosure, smiling when his piglet came running, and scooped him into his arms. "I think she might miss hanging out at her old stomping grounds."

"Are Wanda and Vision still here, too?"

"No." Tony scratched Ironpig's ears. "We didn't want to risk the Mind stone being so close to you, for so long. But they'll be back tomorrow – as long as you don't take a turn for the worse."

"I feel pretty good," he assured him.

"Good. Let's go back to your room before you get worn out from walking."

He turned toward the exit.

"You're bringing Ironpig?"

"What? Who?" Toy asked, innocently.

Peter shook his head, but didn't say anything else.

It would be a lot of fun to watch him and Pepper go back and forth over the piglet's presence in Peter's room when she saw him. Who was he to argue?


	29. Chapter 29

They went to the lounge. It was halfway between the gym and Peter's quarters and they didn't want him on his feet _too_ much, after all. Pepper was already there, setting up the table with items scrounged from the kitchen behind the bar – which was fully stocked, so it was hardly lacing, despite the late hour. She frowned when she saw the piglet tucked under Tony's arm, but didn't say anything as they walked over.

"Are you alright?" she asked Peter, making sure that Stephen had been right about letting him get up for a while and that the walk hadn't pulled stitches or made him hurt more than he already was.

"Yeah." He set Nutmeg up on the lowest platform of the cat tree and then sat down with a relieved sigh, making them think that maybe he was a little sorer than he was letting on.

"There's soup heating," she told him – and Tony – who also sat down, putting Ironpig on the floor so the little guy could wander around. "And sandwiches. I didn't think we'd want anything too complicated."

"It's perfect," Peter assured her, reaching for bread. "I'd have been okay with the sandwiches, alone."

"Eat up," Tony told him, approving of the appetite he was showing now that he was on his feet and not too tired to eat. "You need your strength."

Pepper smiled, and Peter realized that they knew something that he didn't. A _good_ something, to judge by the cheerful look they shared.

"Why?"

"We have company coming, tomorrow."

"We've had a _lot_ of company, recently," Peter reminded them, loading turkey and cheese onto the bread, following it with all the appropriate condiments. "Who is it? Anyone I know?"

"A certain princess – and I don't mean _Stephen Strange_."

Peter smiled, both at the dig to Stephen (which would have been even funnier if the sorcerer had been there to hear it) and the fact that he only knew one princess.

"Shuri's coming?"

"Her _and_ T'Challa," Tony confirmed, pleased at his boy's excitement. "Sometime mid-morning."

"Wow. Why?" As far as he knew they didn't have anything going on as far as summits or anything, that would bring the king of Wakanda and his sister to the states. "Are they just coming _here_? Or just stopping by because they're on their way somewhere else?"

"The others were talking about setting that Panzer spell up all over the earth," Tony said, getting up to go check the soup. "It was decided that Wakanda might benefit from it, first – and then we'll talk to other allies about putting it elsewhere."

Peter looked at Pepper while Tony was in the back.

"Stephen will let me out of bed before Shuri comes, right?"

"_Limited_," she said. "But I'd think so. As long as you're eating, and you get plenty of rest."

She wasn't above using extortion to get him to do what she wanted. Especially if it would make him heal faster.

Tony returned with a kettle of soup, which he ladled into the three bowls on the table.

"Stephen's going to let you up for their visit – provided you-"

"Eat and get rest," Peter finished, nodding, and glancing at Pepper – who rolled her eyes.

Tony smiled, not at all annoyed at Peter knowing what he wanted – and assuming correctly that Pepper told him.

"Right. So, eat."

Peter reached for his bowl – but then his hand shot out and he caught Nutmeg in mid leap as the kitten once more launched himself from the cat tree and onto the table. Pepper clutched dramatically at her chest, rolling her eyes as the boy set the kitten on the floor to go play with Ironpig.

"If he'd ended up in the kettle, I swear I'd have just _served_ him up…"

Tony smiled, but when he looked at Peter, his expression turned a little more serious – and uncertain.

"Did Alec happen to tell you what's wrong with you, yet?"

Peter shook his head, feeling a little embarrassed at the thought that there was something so screwed up with him that he had to actually have an alien come fix him. Although, he supposed he should be gratified that the universe was willing to do him the favor.

"We haven't had a chance to discuss it – he said the skrull thing needed to get fixed, first."

"It's _fixed_," Tony said. "Mostly. What's he saying, now?"

The boy hesitated, waiting for a reply to that.

"_I know they're concerned, but I'm not going to allow them to worry about you any more than necessary, so let's hold off on telling them what the problem is until I know the _solution_, alright? Tell them that it's related to how sensitive you are to the natural world around you and we'll leave it that, for now."_

"What's he saying?" Pepper asked, her expression worried.

"He says it's something to do with my sensitivity to everything around me, but he's not ready to fix it, just yet."

"Not _ready_?" Tony repeated. "Or not _able_?"

"I get the feeling he's working on a solution to whatever it is," Peter replied. "He seems to be methodical."

"Well, if he was a sorcerer, I suppose that makes sense," Tony said – again trying to make himself seem a little less concerned, to avoid worrying Peter. "He must have been pretty _powerful_, though, if he wore the cloak that Stephen has, now. It doesn't seem to be something that would allow a weenie to walk around with."

There was an amused snort in Peter's head.

"_I definitely wasn't a weenie."_

Pepper smiled, noticing the way Peter's expression changed, just then.

"He said something, didn't he?"

"He said he wasn't a weenie."

"He wasn't _human_, though?" she asked. "He really is – _was_ – an alien?"

"Yeah. But his people are all gone, now," Peter told her. "He told me they've been gone for a long time."

"Were they all magic users? Or just him?"

"_Just me. I was the only one on my entire world who showed any inkling of ability. Mentally connected as we all were, though, everyone knew about it – we didn't have secrets. They didn't understand the power I had, or where it came from – and _none_ of us knew what to do with it."_

"_How did you learn to do magic, then?" Peter asked, curiously._

"_An alien sorcerer taught me – on the astral plane."_

Peter passed that information on, and Tony and Pepper listened, fascinated, as the boy told them about a world no one had ever heard of. And people who had lived and died so long ago that the number was ridiculous.

"Then, when he came into his full ability, the cloak showed up one day, and suddenly they were a team," Peter finished. "He says that they didn't stay on his world, then, because there are a billion different dimensions, and they were going from one to another, protecting other worlds and people."

"Huh." Tony shook his head, and gestured to Peter's plate. "Eat. Then we'll get you back to bed so we can tell Stephen that you're fed and rested, and he'll let you out of bed to hang out with Shuri when they come tomorrow."

The boy did what he was told, and the subject changed from Alec to Wakanda, and the skrulls – and what if Wong or Strange cast the Panzer spell and suddenly they found Wakanda filled with skrulls? Not likely, Pepper had said, but that was the whole idea of casting the spell in the first place.

Tony joined the conversation, but he also made a mental note to talk to Stephen the next day, as well. The fact that Alec used to wear the cloak was a telling point for Stark, since he trusted the cloak. It liked Peter and had killed for Peter. It liked Strange, too. Which made him think that not only did the thing only attach itself to powerful sorcerers (as they discussed once) it seemed to be able to judge the character of those it chose.

He'd ask Stephen if there had ever been any record of any known evil sorcerers wielding the thing. Or maybe he'd ask the cloak, itself, if it wasn't around Peter, at the time.

Just to be sure.


	30. Chapter 30

It was a relief to Pepper and Tony that Peter ate everything that they fed him _before_ he started flagging. Once he did, however, he told them he was too tired to make the trek _all_ the way back to his bed.

"I could just sack out on the couch," he said, sleepily, pointing at one of the sofas that was only a handful of steps away from their table. "Then you guys and Dr. Strange will know right where to find me when he comes back in the morning."

Tony looked at Pepper, amused, before turning to Peter, again.

"Because you think that Stephen would look in here for his bed-bound patient before looking in his… _bedroom_?"

"Sure, it sounds _odd_ when you put it that way," Peter said, leaning his cheek on the palm of his hand which was popped with his elbow on the table. "But… yeah?"

Anything to avoid getting up, really. Tony was reasonable. He'd understand.

Stark smiled, watching as Peter closed his eyes, looking as if he was planning on falling asleep right there at the table. He looked at Pepper.

"Well, momma? Do we let him sleep on the sofa? Or make him go back to bed?"

She rolled her eyes, well aware that Tony was making her be the bad guy in the situation. With a look that plainly told him he hadn't heard the end of this, she brushed her fingers against Peter's forehead, pushing his hair back. He opened his eyes at her touch, and gave her a sleepy smile that made her smile, too.

"Tony's going to put you to bed, sweetheart. That way when Clint comes in here for breakfast tomorrow, he doesn't find you sleeping and feel the urge to wrestle you to the floor when you might not be quite ready for that."

"I'm _sleepy_."

"I know." She looked at Tony. "_You_ carry him, _I'll_ bring the pets."

Stark rolled his eyes, now, but his eyes were bright with amusement.

"Fine. But next time, _you_ have to carry the boy, and I get the sweet tiny kitten."

"I'm too old to be carried to bed," Peter protested, even as Tony stood up and scooped him into his arms, careful not to jar those stitches. The boy closed his eyes, his head going to Tony's shoulder, and his arms going around him as he was settled into place. "_Too old_…" he murmured.

"Yeah, I know," Tony told him, softly, smiling at Pepper and brushing his chin against Peter's cheek, and not at all surprised when the hand went automatically to his jaw for a moment and there might have been a sleepily whispered _daddy_ that was barely audible, even in the quiet of the abandoned lounge. "Don't forget Ironpig," he reminded her.

"Like I _would_."

He waited, patiently, while she rounded up a suddenly restless piglet who didn't want to be caught, and then Nutmeg, who had jumped onto the bar by way of a bar stool and was playing with an olive. Then they walked out of the lounge together.

"You got him?" Tony asked, noticing that the piglet was squirming, but Pepper's grip never faltered.

"I grew up on a _farm_, Tony," she reminded him. "I'm more than a match for a pig. Even a spoiled one like yours."

"Not mine," he corrected. "_Peter's_."

"We're still going there?" she asked him, amused. "_Peter_ isn't the one who keeps buying him sweaters and specialty treats."

"Because he has _Nutmeg_ to take care of, too. I just help out where I can."

"Ah."

She didn't buy it, but she just smiled and let it drop.

OOOOOOOO

Stephen appeared in the hallway outside of Peter's quarters the next morning with the cloak, and was somewhat surprised to find Tony sitting on the sofa in the boy's living room when he followed the excited cloak through the slightly ajar door. Stark was only slightly startled by their arrival; he was drinking a cup of coffee and focused somewhat on the tablet that he was holding, but he looked up immediately, and made a quick motion to stop the cloak from swooping in to join Peter and Pepper in the boy's bed.

"A moment, first," he said – and Strange was surprised to realize that he was addressing the cloak and not himself.

"What's wrong?" Stephen asked.

It was obvious the cloak was wondering if something was, as well.

"I want to talk to you – _and_ your floating buddy, for a minute – before you go in and check Peter – who got up for a little while last night, made it as far as late night snack and then had to be carried back to bed, or allowed to sleep in the lounge."

"Because he hurt?" Strange asked, looking concerned. "Or because he was too tired?"

"He was too tired. He didn't make any pained noises when I picked him up – although I was being pretty careful, too."

"You always are," the doctor conceded, settling himself on the arm of the sofa, while the cloak hovered close, but was clearly more interested in joining Peter than listening to the discussion going on. "I assume you're curious about the entity in Peter's head?"

"Alec," Tony supplied. "Yeah. I thought maybe we could do yes, no, with the cloak and maybe give me and Pepper a little peace of mind."

"Wong and I did that last night, once we left here. Do you want me to tell you what we found out, or would you like to ask it, again?"

Tony shouldn't have been surprised by that; Wong and Stephen were probably only a tiny bit less protective of Peter than he and the Avengers were, after all. Despite Wong's proclivity for using magic to test Peter's abilities, which would sometimes put the boy in more danger than Tony cared for.

"No. If you've already grilled it, I'll listen to what you found out, and it can go cuddle with Peter."

The cloak tapped his shoulder and vanished into the room, and Tony got up and closed the door behind it, peeking into the bedroom just long enough to double-check that everyone was still asleep – which they were. He watched as the cloak settled itself on Peter, brushing against Nutmeg, gently, and then sliding along Pepper's sleeping form to cover _her_, as well.

Then he closed the door and turned his attention back to Strange.

"Well?"

"So – and remember, we're stuck with yes or no questions – it clearly remembers Alec – which is not the creature's true name, of course."

"And we'll never learn it from the cloak."

"Correct. It's not pronounceable, because he is very much alien to us."

"And he really did wear the cloak?"

"Oh, yes. It was adamant that it was attached to him. And, yes, he was a magic user and could traverse the dimensions like myself and Wong."

"Any idea what kind of person he was?"

"_Powerful_. He never spoke aloud, and his kind communicated telepathically, exclusively."

"Weird."

"Probably no more than they think we're odd for needing to speak to communicate."

"Any idea what he's doing in Peter's head?"

"Fixing him."

"Repairing," Tony corrected, automatically. "But do you know what's wrong?"

"No. Obviously the cloak couldn't tell us – even if it knew. And before you asked, Wong did ask if it knew what was wrong with Peter and it indicated that it doesn't."

"And was he a good guy? Or are we going to have to worry about him possessing Peter and trying to take over the world?"

"That was a very real concern of mine, as well," Stephen admitted, seriously. "If he can mute Peter's sensitivity to the infinity stones, then he's capable of unleashing a very real danger to not just our world but every world. If he possessed Peter, that is, and took him over."

Tony frowned.

"Tell me we're not too worried about that?"

"I was. I'm not, now. I called Vision and spoke with him and Wanda about my concern. They both assured me that the presence in Peter's mind is there because the Mind stone allowed him to be there and the Mind stone wouldn't allow anything to happen to Peter – it certainly is powerful enough to protect him from possession. Alec isn't going to be able to do anything that Peter doesn't allow him to do – from what Wanda said, he couldn't even bind himself to Peter without being given permission, first."

"Huh. So you think we're okay…?"

"I think he's here to help. And I truest that the cloak wouldn't have joined with a megalomaniac. A narcissist, yes. Maybe even someone with a huge ego… it likes you, after all… But not anyone evil. And the Mind stone won't allow Peter to be hurt."

"So your suggestion?"

"We wait and see what Alec has to say."

Tony nodded. He felt the same way, but he trusted Stephen and it was a relief that the magician was in agreement with him.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now… how about we wake your son and see how he's doing?"

"Good idea. Maybe he'll be a little less stubborn for you."

"I doubt it. He's been hanging around you for quite a while, now. It's bound to rub off on him."


	31. Chapter 31

They woke Pepper, first, rather than have Stephen check Peter without her being awake for it. She sat up, frowning, and reached for Nutmeg as she moved to get out of the bed. _Ironpig_ was sleeping as well, but since he was out of the way at the foot of the bed, no one bothered to moved him.

"Did you ask him about Alec?" she asked, sleepily, as Stephen gestured for the cloak to move, as well.

"Yes. I'll tell you in a minute."

Strange's hand was moving to Peter's forehead, and the boy's eyes opened at the touch. All three adults watched as he looked around, seeing each of them and trying to wake up enough to know what was going on.

"It's morning?"

"Yeah."

Another glance around the room, and no question if he had been sleepwalking, since he was in his own room.

"How do you feel, Peter?" Strange asked.

"I'm okay?"

"You made that a _question_," the doctor pointed out. "Does your side or stomach hurt?"

"No. I feel alright."

"What is the pain level?"

"Three?"

Tony and Pepper both looked at the doctor, watching his expression to see if that was worrisome, but he didn't look concerned.

"Let's check the bandages."

Peter held himself still while Stephen cut the old bandages from his waist and carefully pulled the dressings away from the small surgery wound. Then all of them looked at the stitches that had been hidden under them.

"Doesn't look too bad," the magician told them. "No infection and no suppuration. It probably wouldn't kill him to get out of bed for a little while, today. Certainly long enough to play host to Shuri while you chat with her brother."

Peter practically beamed at that, but Tony frowned.

"Let's wait and see how sleepy he gets after we feed him," he suggested. "He was fine last night, too – right up until his stomach was full. Then it was '_I'm too sleepy to move_…' and '_just let me sleep here, instead…'"_

Pepper snorted, but when they all turned to her, she shrugged and nodded her agreement, pressing her face into Nutmeg's fuzzy belly.

"That's fairly accurate."

Peter blushed, but he shrugged, too, amused.

"I don't remember that. I must have been _sleepwalking_."

"Sleepwalking, huh?" Strange repeated.

"Yeah."

Tony grinned, but didn't say anything in response - even though they all knew he probably had a half dozen responses just begging to come out.

"Well, let me rebandage you, and then you can get dressed and we'll go get some breakfast. Then I want you to nap until the Wakandans arrive. That way I know you're not pushing yourself too hard."

"I'm okay," Peter repeated.

This time it wasn't a question.

"Do as I say."

The boy rolled his eyes, and Tony smiled to see his easy-going boy make such a common teenaged gesture, but there wasn't an argument forthcoming, so he reached for Ironpig, and tucked the piglet under his arm.

"We'll leave you to it, then," he said. _They_ needed to get changed and showered before the Wakandans arrived. "We'll meet you in the lounge whenever you're ready."

Peter and Stephen both nodded, and Pepper hesitated, but decided that Nutmeg was just fine being cuddled in her arms and Peter could have him back at breakfast. She pressed her face into the kitten's fur, again, and smiled at the instant purr she received in return.

"_That little guy is about as happy as a creature can be."_

Peter smiled at the comment, watching as they left, and then turned his attention back to Strange, who suddenly had an array of bandages and supplies on the bed beside where Peter was sitting.

"Are you going to portal T'Challa and Shuri in?"

"I plan to, yes," came the reply. "When they're ready – sometime mid morning, from what I understand. It's easier and more convenient than making them fly."

"_Quicker_, too."

"Yes. Of course, _they_ still think the portals are a type of tech, but that's neither here nor there, I suppose."

Peter nodded, holding his arms up so Strange could wrap his stomach to keep the bandages in place. He was well aware that Shuri refused to believe in the magical aspect of the portals – even though she knew the cloak wasn't a construct. As far as she was concerned, the portals were tech and the cloak was an oddity from another planet – like Asgard, or something – and Strange and Wong were just showmen who had really impressive tech that she was trying to figure out on her own.

"Are you staying until then?" he asked, as the cloak wrapped itself around his bare shoulders and crooned cheerfully in his mind, both a greeting to Alec and a cheerful promise to keep Peter company until it had to go.

"I could probably be talked into breakfast and a card game," Stephen confirmed. He taped down the edge of the wrap and stepped back. "A couple more days and you'll be able to lose the bandages – and most likely the stitches. Until then, no showering. Got it?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

He knew the drill, and he knew the doctor _knew_ that he knew it – this wasn't the first time Peter had had bandages, after all. Not by a long shot. But it was a habit for Strange to give medical orders, and it was habit for Peter to immediately agree to them, since they made sense.

"You're welcome." Strange hesitated, his expression growing just a little concerned as the medical supplies all vanished. "Are you alright, Peter?" he asked, seriously. "Alec isn't hurting you?"

The boy felt warm at the genuine concern he could see in the sorcerer's expression.

"_He's worried I'm going to try to take control of you and use your abilities to take over the world_," Alec said, gently. Peter felt amusement – but it was from the _cloak_, not the alien in his head. _"It's a valid concern, really, because you have a connection with the stones that would make them accept you as their wielder and I could show you how to use them to make anything you wanted happen."_

_"You're not going to try to, though, right?"_ Peter asked.

He hesitated – not because he was worried about Alec; he knew the entity in his head wasn't going to do anything so drastic – but he realized that the two sorcerers that had tried to kill him before might have been right to be afraid of what he could do. Maybe he _was_ a danger to society.

"_No. And don't even _think_ what you're thinking," the_ alien told him. "_They were wrong. You're a good guy, Peter, and the last person I'd be worried about running amok and wreaking havoc on the universe."_

"_But if someone took me over…"_

"_They can't. Strange and Wong set some serious protections on your mind."_

"You _got through them."_

"_Because it's my specialty – what my people did best. And I was – _by far_ – the most powerful of them. Besides, even then, I had to _ask_. Don't worry; you're safe. And so is the universe."_

The cloak caressed his cheek, reassuringly, and Peter was able to smile up at the doctor and shake his head.

"No. I'm okay. He's in there, but he isn't hurting me."

_"And I never will."_

Strange nodded, studying him for a long moment before he replied.

"I'll let you get dressed, then. Can you make it to breakfast on your own? Or do you want me to wait?"

"I'm okay."

Besides, they both knew the cloak was going to stay with Peter if Strange was going to be in the compound, and if for some reason something happened and Peter went down, the powerful relic could simply pick him up off the floor and take him to wherever Strange was.

"Then I'll see you in the lounge. Don't make me come looking for you, though."

Peter smiled.

"I won't. Thanks."

Strange left without another word and Peter eased himself out of the bed – even though he didn't hurt too much, really – and turned toward his dresser to find some clean clothes before heading for the bathroom to clean himself up as well as he could without an actual shower.

Shuri was coming, after all. He couldn't look like a slob.


	32. Chapter 32

Peter didn't return to his room once he'd eaten breakfast.

Stephen, Tony and Pepper were all waiting for him when he and the cloak arrived in the lounge, and Natasha showed up almost at the same moment he did. Close enough to the same time that she had her arm around him in greeting before he made it across the room to join the others at the table.

"Good morning."

"Hey, Natasha."

The cloak reached out a corner of fabric and greeted her, as well, caressing her ear and making them both smile.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good. A few weird dreams, but I feel alright. How about you?"

"Better."

They sat at the table and were discussing the day's schedule when Steve walked into the room, as well. Beside him, still wearing borrowed sweats and a SHIELD t-shirt, Carol Danvers looked around the room before they, too, walked over to join the others, pushing another table over to give them all more room – especially when Clint walked in, also.

"When are the Wakandans coming?" Steve asked, smiling a thank you when one of the bartenders brought coffee for everyone except Peter.

"Before lunch," Tony replied, glancing at Stephen, who nodded his agreement to the plan.

Rogers looked at Danvers.

"Then we have time to go into the city."

She smirked, and Peter wondered if he was missing an inside joke.

"What are you going to the city for?" he asked, curiously.

"I need to do some shopping," Carol told the boy. "I'd like to get some clothes, so I can stick around a while – and maybe not stick out so much."

"You're staying?"

Danvers' smirk turned into a smile at the cheerfulness in his expression.

"Yeah. I think so. For a while. I _should_, you know? There are a lot of new faces for me to get to know better. I can't count on backup from someone if I don't know what they're capable of doing, right?"

"That makes sense." His eyes lit up. "Then _we_ should learn more about _you_, too," he told her. "In case we need you to back us up, some day."

"Very good, Peter," Steve said, approvingly. "We intend to do just that; spend some time while Carol is here to get an idea of what she can do. Just in case."

"_And_ we'll make sure you Avengers have a way of contacting me, if something comes up – like what happened in New York."

"Wow."

Tony hid his smile behind his coffee, pleased at the way that she had included Peter when mentioning the Avengers. _You_ Avengers, not the Avengers.

"It'll be interesting to see," he agreed.

Peter looked over at Tony, suddenly excited.

"Can I invite Ned out to meet Captain Danvers?"

"You can call me Carol," she told him. "Who's _Ned_?"

"My best friend." Which sounded a lot better than _one of my only friends_. Which wasn't quite as accurate as it had been, once. Peter had a lot more friends, now, than he had had – even a year ago. Not necessarily at school, but there were a few more there, as well. "He's a lot smarter than I am."

"I'm fine with that – as long as the powers that be are."

"Nick is probably the powers that be that would need to agree," Tony said to Peter. "But I think, tentatively, that it shouldn't be an issue. Just hold off on calling him, just yet, okay? Let's get T'Challa and Shuri taken care of, first."

"Yeah. Okay." Peter couldn't wait to tell Ned about Carol.

"What about MJ?" Pepper asked, waiting for the blush – which reddened Peter's cheeks, immediately. "You don't think she'd be interested?"

He hesitated.

"Maybe. But some of the Avenger stuff freaks her out and I don't want to worry her any more than she already is."

She still didn't know about his appendix, for that matter. He planned on waiting for the whole aliens on the planet who can shift form thing to be cleared up, first – and maybe for the bandages to come off. _Then_ he'd tell her.

"Just let me know if you need anything," Danvers said, as she and Steve stood up.

"You're going, now?" Tony asked Steve. "Breakfast is coming…"

"Try, try, again," Rogers told him, good-naturedly, while Carol nodded her agreement. Neither seemed to mind the whole dad sensation that Tony was giving off just then. Steve was getting used to it - especially since Peter's arrival in their lives - and Danvers thought it was amusing. "Carol needs some clothes – and she doesn't like our uniforms."

"I like them fine," she corrected. "But not enough to want to sleep in them, if I can avoid it."

The two walked out of the lounge, and Clint – who was now sitting beside Peter – reached over and took Nutmeg from Pepper.

"Am I the only one getting a vibe from those two…?" he asked, pressing his face into the kitten's fuzzy belly.

"A _vibe_?" Peter asked.

Clint rolled his eyes.

"They're cute, together."

Natasha smirked.

"You're such a _yenta_, Clint."

"What?" he shrugged. "They're _adorable_, Nat. Both pretty. Both military – even both _captains_. There's a lot of symmetry with them."

Peter wasn't the only one to smile while Clint ticked off on his fingers several other reasons the two were the perfect match. And continued to do so as they ate their breakfast, even though all of them were watching Peter to make sure he wasn't showing any signs of a waning appetite.

Which wasn't the case. Despite the late night meal only five hours before, or so, Peter had no trouble clearing his plate – aside from the usual issues of trying to eat with a piece of heavy fabric every now and then reminding itself – and _him_ – just how happy it was to be hanging out with him. His fork would clatter to the table, occasionally, and once he spilled his juice, but Strange had been quick with a spell and the mess was gone in an instant and the glass filled once more.

"Thanks."

Strange only winked, well aware that the boy wouldn't have had a problem if not for the ancient relic – which he'd brought with him.

"When you get done eating, I want you to relax," he ordered. "Get off your feet for a while."

"I haven't really been _on_ them," Peter pointed out. "I'm probably fine. Maybe I could go check out where the skrull hid their space ship and see if they left anything interesting by accident."

Space garbage would probably still be worth finding, he supposed.

"We have a team already doing that," Natasha assured him, amused at the pained expression on Tony's face at the idea of allowing Peter to go outside and do anything when he'd obviously just rose up off his deathbed to have breakfast. "I'll make sure you can read the report and see anything they find."

"I'd still like to see where they landed," he said, eyes excited. "It's a spaceship…"

"Then wait until Ned and MJ are here, next time," Pepper said, reasonably. "You can all go look at it, together."

"Off your feet for the rest of the morning," Stephen told him. Again. "I don't want you overdoing it."

"Besides, Shuri's coming, right?" Tony added. "You need to make sure you're not worn out and falling asleep on her during their visit."

It was Pepper's turn to hide her smile. Tony had him figured out, alright.

"Just camp on the sofa there," Strange suggested, gesturing to the closest – and most comfortable of the couches that the lounge had to offer. "Then you can still be where everyone is, but you're not taxing yourself."

Peter grumbled, but it was mostly under his breath, and when he was done eating, he cleared his place, taking the dishes up to the bar and chatting with Dena for a few minutes before reluctantly – and with many mournful sighs – settled himself on the couch, with the cloak cuddling right up on him, weighing itself down and warming up to the highest degree the boy could handle.

He listened to it croon cheerfully in his mind, and then it switched to the same lullaby that it always did – clearly trying to soothe the slight exasperation he was feeling at being babied. It worked, of course, and he found himself eventually listing to the side, leaning heavily on the fat couch cushion while Clint excused himself to go start his day and Natasha and Strange challenged Tony and Pepper to cards.

They purposely kept the discussion dry, aware that if it were interesting Peter would want to join in on it. As it was, they all wanted him asleep for as long as they could keep him still. When they looked over at the end of the first game, his eyes were closed and he was snoring, lightly, with the cloak gently caressing his hair.

"That worked well," Pepper said, watching as Nutmeg hopped lightly up on the sofa and snuggled up in the small space above Peter's head, purring as the cloak started stroking him, too. "How long do we keep him from exerting himself?"

"Another couple of days."

"School starts in _four_…" Tony pointed out.

"We'll see."

"He won't want to miss any days and start behind," Pepper said.

"Do you want to get a call to come to the school because his insides fell out in the middle of PE?"

Natasha snorted.

"I think we're safe from that."

Stephen shrugged; his expression amused.

"Most likely. But do it my way, alright?"

"We always do," Tony assured him.

Which was _true_. When it came to Peter, anyway.


	33. Chapter 33

"Should I wake him?"

Peter's sleepy mind recognized the voice long before he felt someone touch his shoulder, and he opened his eyes, owlishly, looking around without lifting his head from the couch cushion. Shuri smiled, cheerfully, down at him, but didn't say anything, giving him a chance to wake up a little and recognize her.

"Shuri…" he smiled, still more asleep than awake, and his arm came out from under the cloak, hooked around her waist and pulled her down on top of him, hugging her, tight.

She laughed at the decidedly inappropriate treatment of her royal person, but hugged him back before she rolled off of him.

"Good morning, my sweet."

He sat up, rubbing his face and wincing just a little when he felt his side protest the movement. The he realized that T'Challa and Tony were both there, as well – and so was Strange and Pepper.

"It's morning?"

"Closer to lunchtime," Tony confirmed, cuddling Nutmeg, who had been plucked from Peter's chest before Shuri had woken him. "How do you feel?"

"I'm okay."

"I cannot believe you had to have your appendix out," Shuri told him, waiting for him to sit up and then taking the spot beside him. "You should have called me to let me know."

"A lot has been going on," Peter replied, wondering if the others had told the Wakandans exactly what that was. "I haven't even called Ned, yet. Or MJ."

"Does it hurt?"

"No. I'm okay," he repeated. "How have you been?"

"We are well."

"And your mom?"

"Sends her regards and told me that I was to try and convince you to come for a visit." She smiled. "I think she misses you."

Peter smiled, too.

"Tell her I said hello."

"How's the pain, Peter?" Strange asked, now that the boy was a little more awake.

"It's not too bad. Better than before."

"Then you're probably good to get up for a while. Just don't overdo it."

Shuri got to her feet, and offered him her hand to pull him up, as well.

"Are you taking any medications?"

"No. Just the occasional painkiller."

"Can we go for a ride in your car?"

Peter looked at T'Challa before he even looked at Tony, well aware that the King of Wakanda was the one who had to approve that particular request. The young royal nodded, and so did Tony.

"Don't be gone long, alright? I want to have lunch in about an hour."

"Sure." He grinned. "I need to stop at my rooms and get my keys and my wallet."

"I'll walk with you."

They left, and Tony put the kitten up onto the cat tree before turning to T'Challa.

"Stephen told you about the skrull?"

"He _told_ me," the Wakandan said, nodding, as he and Okoye were offered chairs at the table. "I am having trouble believing it, however."

"Well, we knew aliens were out there," Romanoff said, pouring coffee for them. "I suppose it was just a matter of time before they became an issue for us to deal with – beyond the battle of New York, that is."

"Right." They'd set up a display of the table, one that would give everyone a chance to see the video footage about to be displayed. Tony turned it on. "This is what we have, so far, of them. It isn't much – but Nick and Captain Danvers – who you'll meet later – have been able to fill us in on any of the gaps that we have. So first, we show you what we know – then we'll _tell_ you."

"Very well."

Still looking skeptical, T'Challa accepted a cup of coffee from Natasha with a nod of thanks, and then turned his attention to the display.

OOOOOO

"So how is my zebra?"

"He is growing quickly," Shuri said, smiling. "In another month or so, he will separate from his mother and join a bachelor herd."

"So soon?"

"They do not have much of a childhood," she told him. "But he is healthy and strong. Our guides keep track of him for me, so I can tell you what he is up to at any time."

"Thanks, Shuri."

"You are welcome."

Once he had his wallet and keys, they went to the garage and Peter opened the passenger door for her, making sure she was in before he closed the door. Then he moved around the car, put down the top and got behind the wheel.

It was definitely a nice enough day to take advantage of the convertible feature.

"I need to gas up the car," he told her as he buckled up. "You don't mind?"

"Wherever you want to go."

He backed out of the garage, easily, and then put the car in gear and headed for the service road and the highway.

OOOOOO

"So, you employed technology to force these creatures to show themselves?" T'Challa asked after looking at the video feed from the various encounters with the skrull.

Strange forced himself not to roll his eyes; they wouldn't accept the concept of magic – even with the cloak that was hanging from his collar with Peter gone from the compound. It was alien, as far as T'Challa was concerned. Much like the skrull. It was easier to believe in aliens than magic, after all.

"Whatever you want to call it," Tony said, shrugging. "But yes. They were exposed, and the spe – the tech – keeps any new ones from coming in and giving it a go."

"And it will work in Wakanda?"

"Yes." Strange shifted just a little. "It won't cover your entire country, but to be honest, that shouldn't be a problem. We don't see any advantage for the skrull to want to infiltrate your border guard tribes, or the farmers or herders."

"The border tribe don't have access to your shielding, right?" Tony clarified. "They are there to protect from warring tribes, historically?"

"Correct. The shield is controlled from the capitol."

It might not have been something that he would be willing to share with outsiders, but Tony had proven himself to be a friend. One who could be trusted with the information he was asking.

"Do you believe there is a real possibility that these aliens have infiltrated Wakanda?" Okoye asked, allowing her skepticism to show.

"No." Tony shrugged, and then flinched when Natasha's hand shot out to catch Nutmeg in mid-launch from the cat tree. "I swear to God, I'm going to turn him into a _rug_ if he keeps doing that."

She smirked, cuddling the kitten against her, sticking her face into his fur.

"He's a baby, Tony… it's what he does."

T'Challa was visibly amused.

"Young feline predators are constantly practicing ambushes," he pointed out. "It is not so uncommon to see them jumping on their parents whenever they get the chance."

"Then he should be going after _Peter_, and not grandpa," Pepper said, amused.

Tony rolled his eyes.

"To answer your question, I think it's a case of better safe than sorry when it comes to Wakanda. Your country is incredibly stable, and we – the _Avengers_, that is – would like to see it remain that way. If that means keeping the aliens from being able to sneak in and cause trouble, then we'd like to do whatever it takes. With your permission, of course."

"We would be foolish to refuse your assistance," T'Challa replied. "When would you like to do this?"

"The sooner the better," Stephen said. "Whatever your schedule allows. I'll make myself available any time this week."

"Thank you. Just in case, I will want to have security available in all the more sensitive areas of the capitol."

"We could bring in SHIELD agents," Natasha offered. "If we run them through here on their way to the portal, we'll know they're not compromised. Again, just in case Wakanda has any unwanted guests – especially since we aren't sure how they would react once they knew they were exposed."

Okoye clearly hated the idea of having anyone in her country that didn't belong – understandable since she was, personally, in charge of the security of Wakanda. She nodded, though, when T'Challa glanced at her.

"We accept. It-"

He was interrupted when Tony frowned, looking down at his watch.

"Peter? Everything alright?"

"_There's an accident on the highway,"_ came the reply. _"We're going to be delayed. I just wanted to let you know."_

Natasha was already standing, reaching over to put Nutmeg back onto the cat tree.

"Where are you?"

"_Just before the gas station,"_ he said, and it was quiet enough in the room that they all heard him – and could also hear that there was no panic or concern in his voice. _"It's okay, Tony, really. Steve's here – with Carol."_

"That's convenient."

"_Not really. They were involved in the accident."_

Tony looked at Pepper.

"We'll be right there."

Everyone stood.


	34. Chapter 34

It wasn't hard to find them.

There was a state patrol cruiser on the side of the road; lights flashing, even though the siren was turned off. Peter's Pontiac was just behind the cruiser, and in front of both, was the sedan that Steve normally used when he drove off the compound grounds. The front end was crumpled, with fluids leaking from the engine compartment onto the asphalt and steam coming out from under the hood and all open areas.

The large SUV pulled up behind Peter's car, and the trooper on the scene watched as several people got out, all looking concerned. Tony, Pepper, Stephen, Natasha, T'Challa and Okoye walked past the Pontiac (Tony double-checked the gleaming vehicle, just to make sure it hadn't been involved, somehow) and then stopped at the cruiser, where Steve and Carol were both leaning against the hood. Peter and Shuri were both standing next to the car, and the state trooper was writing up some paperwork, still talking to Steve and Carol – and occasionally saying something into the microphone on his shoulder.

"What happened?" Tony asked. He looked at Peter, first – it was a habit that he couldn't help – but even though the boy was a little pale, he didn't have any more scratches than his car. "Anyone hurt?"

"No, Tony," Steve said, shaking his head. There was a slight mark on the right side of his neck – and Tony decided immediately that it was a seatbelt burn. Which told him Danvers was driving. "We're fine. Just a little banged up."

"It happened so fast…" Danvers said, looking chagrined, and holding an icepack against her cheek. "They're _really_ quick."

"What are?" Natasha asked, looking around the scene.

There wasn't another car around. Which told her that Carol must have meant an animal of some sort.

"It was a deer," Steve confirmed. "It jumped out from the trees right as we were coming around the curve over there. Carol tried to avoid him and hit the brakes, but it was practically _aiming_ at us."

"No one was hurt?" Tony asked, again.

"There was only one car involved, and we're both fine."

"What about the deer…?" Peter asked, suddenly realizing that the damages to the car probably didn't bode well for the creature.

Steve hesitated, but the answer was in the dent, and the smeared blood flecks – as well as tell-tale tufts of tawny fur stuck in the metal seams of the broken headlight.

"The deer might not have made it."

Tony looked at Danvers.

"You killed Bambi?"

She gave him a look – similar to the one Pepper was giving him.

"He _ran out_ in front of me. I tried to swerve, but it was like he was _trying_ to hit me."

"It isn't along the side of the road, Mr. Stark," the trooper said as Stephen stepped up to pull the icepack away from Danvers' cheek and started checking her vitals by hand. "We looked for it. If anything, it probably will find a place to hole up and get well, if it wasn't injured too badly."

Peter looked at Tony.

"Could _you_ look for it?"

He had his own suit, of course, but with the trooper right there – not to mention the dash cam video – he knew better than to activate the vibranium suit and give himself away for something that none of them would agree was an emergency. If it were a _person_, yes, but not a deer.

Those brown eyes were troubled, and Tony didn't even argue. He activated his suit.

"Friday?"

"Already looking."

A moment later, the sensors in Tony's suit locked the deer, and Tony grimaced before he deactivated the Ironman suit. He shook his head.

"He's about 40 yards in, just that direction," he told the trooper before looking at Peter. "He didn't make it, son."

Peter's face fell, but he didn't look shocked.

"Oh."

Shuri was closest and reached a hand out to touch his arm, sympathetically.

"I've got a tow truck coming," the trooper said. "If these two don't need an ambulance, they're free to go back with you."

"They look fine," Strange said, finishing his own quick examination. "If anything starts to ache, the doctors at the compound can handle it."

"You'll have the car towed to the compound?" Steve asked the trooper.

"Yeah. Not a problem." He looked at Peter – who he was well familiar with by then, and frowned. "You okay, son?"

Peter nodded, forcing a smile.

"Yeah. Just bummed for the deer."

"Better the sedan than your dad's car, though," he told the boy, patting his shoulder.

"Yeah."

"Come on guys," Tony said, stepping up, as well. "Let's get these two home." He looked at Peter. "Want me to drive?"

"No. I'm okay, thanks. We're going to go gas up the car."

"That's what _we_ were doing," Steve said.

"At least I got my new clothes, this time," Carol added, walking with the others back to the SUV. "They're in the trunk."

"We'll get them when they deliver the car," Tony said, sliding his hand along the hood of the Pontiac as they walked by. "It's a tight fit, already."

"I'm going to ride with Peter and Shuri," Natasha told the others, glancing at Peter to see if he minded.

He nodded.

"Yeah."

She stopped at Peter's car while the others continued walking and loaded into the SUV.

"Come straight back," Tony said to Peter, opening the driver's door and looking at him, checking once more to make sure he was alright to drive. He was glad that Romanoff had suggested tagging along; she was probably the only one who could have said anything without Peter objecting. "We'll have lunch."

Peter nodded and reached for his keys.

OOOOO

"Well, I suppose that's one way to try and control the deer population around here," Clint said forty-five minutes later, shaking his head.

The SUV was back, and they were in the lounge, now, sitting at a table and having drinks. Barton had been advised what had happened, and – of course – had checked to see if the deer made it, once he made certain Steve and Carol hadn't been injured.

"I didn't do it on _purpose_," Danvers said, well aware that her driving skills were going to be questioned, now. Of course, her license had expired several years before, but she'd told Rogers that she missed driving, and he'd offered to let her drive from the gas station back to the compound. Which hadn't worked out too well for the car – or the deer. "_He_ hit _me_, really."

"It's not even close to the first deer hit we've seen on that part of the road," Tony told her. "They're all over the place."

A movement at the entrance made him look over and he saw Peter walking in with Shuri and Natasha, and noticed that T'Challa had been quick to spot his sister, as well. He probably was nervous whenever she was out of his sight – and understandably so.

"How was the drive?" Clint asked Shuri, smiling a greeting as he stood up and offered her his chair before reaching for another for Natasha.

The princess smiled, cheerfully, as she sat down. She really liked Barton; he was irreverent with her, despite her rank, and she loved that.

"It was a beautiful day for it."

"Unless you are a _deer_," Okoye remarked, looking at Danvers, archly.

Peter was standing by the cat tree, crooning to Nutmeg and rubbing his finger along the kitten's chin, and Pepper glanced over to see if Okoye's remark had upset the boy. They all knew he was sensitive to such things, and even though they knew they couldn't shield him from the harsh reality that things died, they didn't like the idea of rubbing it in, either.

Tony scowled.

"We can probably change the subject," he said, softly. "Maybe a more _cheerful_ topic…"

She echoed his scowl.

"The boy has killed a _person_. I cannot imagine the death of a simple animal will have a life changing effect on him."

Peter turned; he hadn't missed any of the conversation going on around him – he'd just been trying to ignore it and cheer himself up. It was just a deer, after all. He didn't want it to spoil his short day with Shuri and her brother.

"What? What do you mean?"


	35. Chapter 35

"_Well shit."_

He ignored the soft curse that was uttered in his mind, looking at Okoye, who looked back at him, oddly – as if he'd lost his mind.

"The men who tried to kidnap the princess," she replied into the sudden silence in the room. "They-"

"They _died_?"

"You didn't _know_?" Shuri asked, shocked.

Peter felt the blood rush from his face, and knew he must have paled, because he saw Tony lurch to his feet out of his peripheral vision. He felt light-headed, suddenly.

"_You_ _did_?" he asked, and his voice cracked on the second word.

"I saw Gerard-"

"We should be _leaving_," T'Challa said, suddenly, realizing that there was going to be a very personal scene, soon, and not one that needed an audience of outsiders. _He_ was shocked, too, but he was well trained in decorum – and very few things could shock him into being frozen, and this wasn't one of them. He came to his feet – as did Okoye. "Stephen?"

"Wait-"

Peter didn't want them to leave. He wanted to hear more – and he didn't want _Shuri_ leaving, anyway. She hadn't been there very long.

"Yes." Strange didn't look quite as frantic, but his expression was always serious, so it was hard to read most of the time, anyway. "Tony? I'm going to use the side conference room. I'll be back later. Call if you need me."

Stark nodded, his eyes never leaving Peter, who watched, helplessly, as Shuri was shepherded out of the room between Okoye and her brother, followed immediately by Strange.

"We're going to go, too," Steve said, standing up and practically dragging Carol to her feet.

She didn't protest the cavalier treatment, though, and even though she looked confused, she didn't ask any questions. Clint stood without a word and left, as well, and suddenly the room was completely empty – save Tony, Pepper and Natasha.

Stunned and radiating uncertainty, Peter looked at Tony, automatically.

"I don't understand…" he said. "I… I mean, they… I _killed_ them?"

Tony moved, taking Peter's arm and using the hold to push him down onto the sofa before his legs gave out on him. Then he followed him, kneeling on the floor in front of him; his eyes on Peter's, forcing him to focus on him. Behind them, at the table, Pepper and Natasha sat still, instinctively knowing that Tony was the one who needed to address this, but sticking close for when they were needed.

"They tried to kill you, Peter…" Tony said, firmly. "You and Shuri, both. And they _would_ have, if you hadn't stopped them."

"But-"

"But _nothing_. We didn't tell you because at the time you were so badly hurt, we didn't want to add to it by upsetting you. When you healed up, and you couldn't remember, we assumed it was the Mind stone keeping the memory from you – and we thought it was better that you now know."

And he could tell from the shocked look on his face that they'd been right.

"_It was the Mind stone that kept you from remembering,"_ Alec agreed. "_But, truth be told; _you_ didn't kill them." He added._

"_What do you mean? I cast the spell."_

"_The first spell that came to mind – when you were being threatened and had been told some horrible news in the cruelest of ways."_ Alec had full access to Peter's mind – and to his memories. He knew exactly what had been said to Peter that had driven him to the point of not caring if he had lived or died. _"The spell was handed to you by the stone. It told you what to do, and it gave you the spell that killed them. It chose how they died. You just cast it."_

"I killed them…" he said, softly – to _both_ of them. "I'm a _murderer_."

He recoiled from the word even as he said it, and Tony reached for him; both hands palming Peter's face, holding his head still and forcing him to look at him. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes were only filled with love and none of the recriminations that Peter was filled with, just then.

"You are _not_. You're amazing. And _good_. And you saved Shuri from the worst possible fate. There was only one way out for you and for her, and you were brave enough to take it."

"But-"

"Peter," he interrupted, gently. "Let me ask you something. When I was kidnapped – in the Middle east. When I _became_ Ironman. I killed a lot of people to escape. Does it make me a murderer?"

He would have shaken his head, but Tony's hands were holding him fast, making him look at him.

"No. You had to. They were going to kill you."

"Right. It was self-defense. Yes?"

"Yes."

"Poole had a gun on you – he _used_ it on you. Don't you even for a _minute_ think that you didn't do everything that you could – everything that you _had_ to do – to get yourself and Shuri free. Otherwise, when T'Challa woke up, he wouldn't have had a sister, any longer – and when…" his voice broke and tears were suddenly standing in those expressive eyes that Peter admired so much. "And when Pepper and I woke up… they would have had to tell us that we didn't have _you_, anymore. I know what he told you. When you thought that we were dead – that he'd killed us. _You_ know how we would have felt, only in our case, it would have been _true_."

Peter's eyes filled, and he reached for Tony, who pulled him into a hug, and simply held the boy close as he cried, softly. Either from the memory of just how much it had hurt when he'd been told Pepper and Tony were dead – and how much the man holding the gun had enjoyed _gloating_ about it – or the idea that he had killed someone – _three_ someones. Tony didn't know.

He glanced over at Pepper and Natasha while he held Peter, and both were still, ready to be a support, if needed, but letting Tony take the lead. Natasha had killed – many, _many_ more times than Stark – but she wasn't the one to talk Peter through this, since her kills hadn't always been as 'righteous' as the ones Tony was describing, and Pepper had, as well, but Peter didn't need to know that.

He'd had enough shocks already that day.

Finally, Peter sniffed, but he didn't pull out of the strong arms that were holding him so warmly.

"What do I do?"

"You don't have to do anything, honey," Tony told him, bringing Peter's hand up to brush his jaw, and feeling the boy's fingers trace the line of facial hair; stroking it, idly. "You just keep being you. Brave, and good and amazing…"

"I don't feel like I'm any of those things, right now."

"I know. But you _are_. And if you ever need reminding of it, we're right here to tell you."

"_He's right,"_ Alec said, finally speaking up in Peter's mind. _"You're all of that – and more. The fact that you're mourning the death of three men who were so obviously twisted only proves it."_

Peter felt a calm wash over him, then, from the inside out, and he sighed, leaning into Tony, wearily. He suddenly felt a million years old.

"I'm going to go lay down for a while…" he murmured into Tony's t-shirt.

"I'll come with you."

"No. It's okay…" he pulled away, almost reluctantly, and wiped his nose on his forearm. "I should be alone."

He wasn't going to be good company, really, and he knew that any of them – or _all_ of them – would stay with him the rest of the day, even if all he did was sleep. He loved them for it, but at the moment, he didn't feel like he deserved that kind of caring.

"You're not alone, Peter," Tony reminded him, gently. "You'll always have us."

The boy sniffed, again, and nodded, forcing a smile.

"Thank you."

Tony pressed a kiss against his cheek and let him go, moving to allow Peter to get up; which he did. He could see that Natasha and Pepper both looked worried, and he didn't want that, either. Romanoff was closer and as he moved by the chair she was sitting in, he stopped long enough to hug her, resting his head on her shoulder, feeling her arms wrapping around him and holding him, tight.

"I love you, baby," she told him, simply.

Peter nodded, again, and he left a few more tears soaking in her shirt.

"I love you, too."

Then, he released her and moved to Pepper, hesitating because he felt dirty, and wanted to hold her; wanted so badly to _be held_, but didn't want to soil her. She seemed to understand, because she smiled, and opened her arms to him, not caring at all that he didn't deserve her, just then. Peter went to his knees in front of her and put his head in her lap, wrapping his arms around her knees with another sob.

"Oh, sweetheart," Pepper crooned, leaning her body over him, and holding him away from the rest of the world. "You're fine, Peter… we're here."

"_Momma_…" he whispered, brokenly, into her thigh.


	36. Chapter 36

It was several long minutes before Peter finally sniffed and lifted his head from her lap, feeling capable of looking up at Pepper, who slid her fingers along his damp cheeks.

"I love you."

He gave her a shaky – _very shaky_ – smile.

"I love you, too."

"We should get you to bed," she told him. "Before Stephen comes charging in here talking about your insides sliding out, again, or something."

He nodded and got to his fee, his hand staying on her leg as long as possible to maintain the connection with her.

"Yeah."

"Are you sure that you don't want company?"

"No. I'm okay. _Really_. I'll just take a nap…" he offered up another tremulous smile, looking at Tony, this time. "Maybe things will look better when I've slept."

It was no secret that he didn't handle being tired very well, after all. Hurt from the appendix thing and worn out from the recovery, the shock had just been one more thing piled on a fair list of trials that he just wasn't ready to completely deal with, just then.

They watched him walk out of the room, his head down, and shoulders slumped. Tony walked over to Pepper and now it was _him_ that she gathered into her arms.

"That was awful…"

"I know. Are you alright?"

"Yes. It just kills me to see him hurting like that."

"He knows we're here for him," she assured him.

"We'll keep an eye on him the next few days," Natasha added.

Before she could say anything else, Steve, Carol and Clint all walked into the lounge. Clearly, they had been hovering, waiting in the wings in case they were needed. In the event of a panic attack – which _wasn't_ unheard of with Peter – Tony could handle the boy's superior strength if he activated the Ironman suit, but Natasha and Pepper would have been the only backup in the room.

"How's he doing?" Clint asked, sitting back down in the chair he'd so abruptly vacated earlier.

"He's upset," Tony said. "I have Friday watching him as far as his quarters, and then Karen will take over."

"Do we need to worry about sleepwalking?" Steve asked. "Or even _teleporting_?"

"I wouldn't put it past him," Tony replied, also sitting down. "We'll stay close, though. Just in case."

Strange walked into the room, then, as well, crossing the distance to their table. Everyone noticed that he didn't have his cloak; presumably the thing had gone to find Peter.

"Is there anything I can do?" He asked Tony and Pepper as he seated himself at the table.

"No. Thanks, He just needs a chance to get over the shock."

"I don't understand…" Carol said, frowning. She'd been told the story of the attempted kidnapping while she, Steve and Clint had removed themselves from the room to give Tony a chance to talk to Peter in relative privacy, but it was more complicated than could just be explained in the short time they'd waited. "He killed someone? He's just a _boy_."

"It wasn't his choice," Tony said with a shrug. "And up until an hour ago, he _didn't_ know that they died."

"How would he not know?"

"Because we didn't really want to let him know," Pepper said. "We didn't think that he _needed_ to know."

"And you were _correct_," Stephen agreed. "His reaction just now is proof of it."

"Poor guy," Clint said, shaking his head. "I wish there was more we can do for him. He looked pretty upset."

"He _is_," Tony agreed. "But he's tougher than he thinks. He _had_ to be. We'll just make sure we're there if he needs anything."

"Which you already do," Strange pointed out. "He just needs some time."

It was clear Stephen trusted that Tony had already told Peter anything that he needed to hear. Now he just needed to be allowed time to consider what he'd been told.

And get over the shock.

"Did you set up a time with T'Challa?" Tony asked, curiously, ready to change the subject – although his mind was still on Peter – just in case Friday gave him a heads up that the boy was leaving the compound, or something.

"Yes. Tomorrow – late our time, so that they can have everyone _there_ out doing their usual routines – just in case."

Steve nodded.

"I'll assemble a security force to take positions around their capitol."

"Good." Tony was distracted, and they all knew that he wanted to go be with Peter, but instead, he forced himself to stay in his seat. "Let's get it figured out, now."

If Peter was feeling better, maybe he'd suggest using the day to go to Wakanda and maybe take the time to go see his zebra colt.

That would be a step toward cheering him up, after all – and he was sure T'Challa wouldn't mind.

OOOOOO

He felt numb as he walked to his quarters without really paying attention to where he was going. Not that he _needed_ to; he knew the compound extremely well, after all, and he wasn't going to get lost.

He was a _killer_. The word was so harsh – and yet, it was true. Tony hadn't denied it.

"_Would you have preferred that he lied?"_ Alec asked, pointedly.

"No. Of course not," Peter answered, dully, speaking aloud. "I just wish I didn't know at all."

"Natasha's_ a killer. You love her."_

"Yeah."

"Tony's_ a killer. You love him."_

"I know, Alec," he said. "I get what you're saying, It's just…"

"You_ don't want to be a killer,"_

"I don't like hurting things."

"_Which is exactly why those two magicians who thought killing you would protect the earth were wrong. You're a good-hearted person, Peter Benjamin Parker. It's good that you're horrified by the fact that you took a life, but you can't let it stop you in your tracks. Take some time, think through what Tony told you – and what I told you – and then keep being you."_

Peter didn't answer, but he knew that Alec wasn't really expecting a response. They finished the walk to his room in silence and just as he opened the door, he found himself assaulted by a piece of heavy fabric, wrapping itself around Peter's shoulders and crooning happily in his mind as it caressed his cheeks and hair – running a corner along his forehead, as if checking for a fever.

He smiled, automatically, and felt _Alec_ greet the cloak, as well, and he crossed his living room and headed for the bathroom.

"I'm going to take a shower," he warned the cloak. As dirty as he felt – even though he knew, deep down that it was all _psychological_ – he had to take a shower.

"_Doctor Strange told you no showers for a few more days."_

"He won't know."

There was a feeling of uncertainty, but the presence in his mind truly couldn't _control_ Peter, and the cloak detached itself from him and stayed in the living room, unwilling to get wet – even from just the steam of a shower.

Peter stripped and turned on the shower, and spent the better part of an hour and an entire bottle of body wash in a futile effort to make himself feel clean. The heat of the shower _did_ wear him out, though, and he dried off – noting that he'd managed to ruin the stitches in his side but fairly certain the bleeding would stop soon enough and despite Stephen's concerns, there was probably very little chance that his insides were going to slide out the tiny incision.

He pulled on a pair of sweats and a long-sleeved t-shirt and went to his bed, joined immediately by the cloak. He looked up at the ceiling, feeling the ancient relic weighing him down and warming him as it started humming its usual lullaby in his mind.

He didn't have a chance to brood; he fell asleep almost immediately, and the dreams he had were entirely calm ones; filled with planets spinning lazily in their orbits and memories of every hug he'd ever had.


	37. Chapter 37

A surge of irritation woke Peter from his nap. Not his _own_, he realized as he shifted, slightly, and opened his eyes. It was an annoyance that was inside him, but not actually him. Which meant Alec or the cloak.

"_Not me,"_ came the amused reply. _"It seems your doctor wants to go home and his ancient relic wants to stay and keep you company and they are at an impasse."_

With that for a warning, Peter wasn't too surprised when he rolled painfully onto his other side to look toward the bedroom door and saw that Stephen was in his room, along with Tony. Both men moved to the side of the bed when they realized he was awake.

"Peter," Strange said by way of greeting. "Tell my cloak that you're alright, and not sleepwalking, and that you're not going to teleport yourself somewhere."

"What?"

He wasn't that awake, apparently.

"The cloak is worried that _you_ need it more than Stephen needs it," Tony said, sitting down on the edge of Peter's bed, and reaching out to press his hand against the boy's forehead. "How do you feel?"

Peter frowned, feeling the cloak caressing his ear, humming soothingly into his mind.

"I'm okay." He brushed the heavy fabric. "I am. _Really_."

It didn't seem convinced – which amused Alec, apparently, to judge by the snort of laughter in his head. He sat up, to prove it, and winced, slightly, his hand gong to his side, which at the moment was covered by the cloak.

"Hurts?" Strange asked.

"A little."

Maybe a little more than just a little, really.

"Take a look before you go?" Tony asked the doctor.

"Of course. If for no other reason than I'll be that much closer to getting my cloak back."

The relic detached itself from Peter, still grumbling a little at losing its favorite cuddle buddy, and Tony and Strange both frowned at the blood staining Peter's shirt.

"_Stephen_…"

"Yes." The doctor moved closer, and a pair of scissors was already in his hand when he motioned for Peter to move to the edge of the bed, while also gesturing at Tony to move out of the way. "Did you fall?" He asked as he helped Peter pull his shirt off.

"No. I took a shower," the boy admitted.

Strange started to ask why, but the lingering hurt in Peter's eyes answered that question before he could say anything. He just nodded, and used a warm, wet, towel to wipe away the blood that had dried around the surgery incision.

"How is he?" Tony asked, worried.

Of course, _he_ was the one who was going to have to break the news to Pepper if Peter had taken a turn for the worse. Not to mention his very real concern for _Peter_, of course.

"It's not as bad as the bleeding made it appear," the surgeon said, after examining the wound. "It bled quite a bit, but there's no redness and no indication of infection."

"New stitches?"

"No. I'll bandage it, and Peter will stay out of the shower until I give him the go ahead. Right?"

The boy nodded.

"Yes. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. Dr. Davidson isn't going to be impressed that you made ruined his handiwork, though."

Peter nodded, wincing as Stephen began treating the wound and then bandaging it.

"Did you… when are you going to go to Wakanda?" He asked.

"Tomorrow evening." Strange looked up from what he was doing. "From what I understand, Steve is planning on taking a security force. They will probably be there for several hours, getting themselves into position before we set the spell."

"We were thinking that _you_ might want to go, as well," Tony added. "Maybe finish the visit with Shuri – if you think you're going to be feeling up to it?"

"Yeah. Please. That would be great."

He could apologize to her and T'Challa both for freaking out.

Tony felt a bit of relief at the enthusiasm which Peter was showing at the thought.

"Stephen is going home, but mom and I were waiting for you to wake up to see if you were interested in having a late night snack with us."

He _wasn't_ hungry, but – as always – he was very much aware of the fact that if he didn't eat, it made them worry. He'd never go out of his way to make them worry about him; as far as he was concerned, they did plenty of worrying about him, already.

"Sure. In the lounge?"

"In your _bed_," Strange ordered, taping down the bandages and suddenly holding a clean shirt, which he handed to Peter. "Your illicit shower just earned you an extended stay right here in your bed until further notice."

"But-"

"Do you want your insides to fall out?" Tony asked, interrupting.

Peter rolled his eyes, feeling a surge of gratitude toward the man for being so willing to mess with him. He needed that normalcy and Tony seemed to understand that.

"They're not going to fall out. It's not _that_ big of a hole."

"They're called _small_ intestines for a reason," Stephen told him. "Do what I tell you, and you'll be in the clear in time to go to Wakanda, tomorrow."

Which was calculated.

Peter nodded; he really wanted to go to Wakanda.

"Fine."

Strange smirked, but was also impressed by the way Tony handled Peter. He really _was_ very good with the boy. May had chosen incredibly well.

"Good." He looked at Tony. "You have him?"

"Yeah. We're good." Tony looked at Peter. "_Right_? You're good?"

Peter nodded.

"I'm okay."

"I'm going to walk Stephen out and find Pepper – who is chasing your kitten down, just so you know. I'll be back in a while with dinner."

"Alright."

He was putting his shirt on and reaching for the remote when Strange and Tony left the room – and then his quarters.

"If you need me, call," Strange told Stark as they walked down the corridor.

"We're going to stay with him, tonight. Whether he wants us to, or not."

"That's probably wise. I'll be back mid-afternoon. Sooner if you need me. Keep him in bed until then."

"Will do."

The sorcerer vanished and Tony checked in with his AI to locate Pepper – which turned out to not be necessary, since she was suddenly rounding the corner in front of him, Nutmeg in her hand. She smiled and handed him the kitten.

"Here, grandpa."

"Where was he?"

"Nick's rooms, sitting on a shelf knocking things off."

"Did he break anything?"

Might as well find out in advance if they were going to be replacing a bauble or one of Nick's few decorations.

"Of course. Nick said to tell you that he'll square up later."

Tony shook his head and held the kitten up to look him in the eye.

"You're a menace. You know that, right?"

Nutmeg ignored him.

"How's Peter? Did you and Stephen check on him?"

"He's fine, honey. He took a shower, though, and ripped those stitches. Stephen bandaged him up before he left and ordered him to stay in bed until he returns."

"Is he hurt?"

"No. He didn't even put new stitches in. I think that he just wants to make sure he's rested before we go to Wakanda tomorrow night."

"Peter didn't argue?"

"No. he's still a bit shell-shocked, I think. We'll feed him and then spend a quiet night keeping him company."

He didn't ask if that was what she wanted to do; he knew it was.

"Go find dinner, I'll meet you in his room."

"Take Nutter Butter, here," Tony said, handing her the kitten. "I don't want any cat hair in my spaghetti."


	38. Chapter 38

Peter was sitting up on the edge of his bed when Pepper walked in, with Nutmeg in her hand, tucked against her side. She smiled as she walked over, and sat down beside him.

"Hi, sweetheart," she said, softly, bringing her free arm around him.

He took the implied invitation and leaned against her, closing his eyes and just enjoying the closeness.

"Hi."

"How do you feel?" Pepper asked him after simply holding him for a while, and making sure he remembered just how much she wanted to be with him. "Tony told me that you tore your stitches?"

"A little. I took a _shower_." He shrugged. "I'm okay, though. Stephen didn't even put new ones in; he just put a bandage on and left it at that."

"Any restrictions?"

Peter rolled his eyes.

"I have to stay in bed until he comes tomorrow to check on me."

She rested her chin on the top of his head, making a soft noise of sympathy.

"You should be in bed, anyway, with your surgery."

"It's not too bad, though," he assured her, his voice muffled because his face was buried against her shoulder. "You don't need to worry about me."

"I'll _always_ worry about you," she told him. "It's the whole _mom_ thing. Part of the contract, I guess. But I love it."

Peter smiled at that, even though she couldn't see it.

"I'm sorry about earlier," he said, softly. "I didn't mean to freak out."

She set Nutmeg on his bed and gathered him into her arms, completely, then, turning toward him so she could hug him against her.

"You had every reason to be upset, Peter," she murmured. "It's a terrible thing to hear – especially so abruptly. I'm sorry that we hid it from you – we just didn't think you needed to know, then, and there was never a time or a reason to bring it up, after."

"I understand," Peter assured her, feeling her love engulfing him. "I _do_. And I'm glad you didn't tell me."

"It's not that we want to _baby_ you – you _understand_ that, right? But we're painfully aware of the fact that you've been through a lot, already, and we didn't want to add to it. You're _ours_, now, and we're supposed to watch out for you."

"You guys are doing a good job," he said, feeling the sting of tears, but honestly tired of being sad. "I'm just making it harder for you than most parents."

"The chance you take when raising a teen-aged superhero," she said with a slight shrug, kissing the top of his head and then letting him go so he could sit up a little and actually look at her. "You're worth it, though. Tony would agree."

"Agree with what?"

They both looked over at the bedroom door and saw Tony had returned, now pushing a cart that was holding several dishes – all of which smelled amazing, as far as Peter was concerned. His stomach growled.

"That Peter needs more allowance," she said, turning her head to wink at the boy so Tony couldn't see. "Gas isn't cheap, after all – and it's not like he has time to get a job, or something."

"You need more allowance?" Tony asked him, smiling as he pushed the cart right up to the side of the bed, turning it so they had better access to the bowls of pasta, sauce and salad. There were also bread rolls, since they both knew how much Peter liked them. "We could probably find some extra chores around here for you to do."

"Like what?" Pepper asked, handing Peter a plate.

"I don't know. Things."

Peter smiled, starting to fill his plate.

"I don't need more allowance. I'm _fine_." He looked at Pepper. "Are you going to Wakanda, tomorrow?"

"I'm not sure," she replied in turn, looked at Tony. "Are you going to be acting as support to the operation?" she asked. "Or can we spend the day playing tourist?"

"I'm all yours, tomorrow. The Wakanda thing is Steve and Stephen – with _Danvers_ as back up. I thought we could go look for Peter's zebra – make it a mini vacation before school starts."

"We had the weekend at the beach," Peter pointed out.

"This is even _minier_."

"That's not a word."

"Peter? Tell mom if it's used in a sentence, it's a _word_."

They both looked at him, expectantly, and he hesitated, bread roll already lifted to his mouth. Then he shook his head and shoved the entire roll in his mouth and shrugged, giving them both an innocent look that plainly said he wasn't taking sides.

Tony rolled his eyes, but he was secretly pleased – and relieved – that he was feeling up to bantering with them. It was a good start. He winked at Pepper, and then started forking pasta onto his plate.

OOOOO

"You don't have to stay with me."

"But you won't send us packing if we want to stay. Your bed is a lot more comfortable than ours…"

Peter smiled.

"I'm not going to sleepwalk."

Probably.

Tony didn't look convinced – and really, Pepper didn't, either. True, he'd eaten a heavy meal – which was a great way to make him sleepy. He'd had a rough day, though, and they knew how the pattern worked with him as well – if not better, really – as he did. They were more than willing to stay.

"Maybe we could keep you company for a while longer," Pepper suggested. "Just until you fall asleep?"

"I don't sleepwalk right after I fall asleep," he pointed out. "It's toward the morning when it happens. I'm okay. You can have Friday listen in on Karen, and if I make a move to go anywhere, she can let you know."

They weren't going to argue with him. They'd made sure he understood they were concern, and he'd addressed that concern. Forcing your sixteen-year-old son to let you sleep in his bed with him was a little extreme, so they were willing to back down since he looked so certain. Besides, if he did sleepwalk, the chances were, he'd end up in their bed – or with Natasha. Either way he'd be safe.

"And then we can say I told you so in the morning?" Tony asked, which made Peter roll his eyes.

"No. Unless I end up in your bed. Because there would be some serious irony in that." He hesitated. "Do you think if I called Ned early enough, we could invite him to come out to Wakanda with us? Even if it's just for a few hours?"

"Not MJ?"

"Not both," Peter said. "It wouldn't be fair to swarm T'Challa with a tourist convention on short notice. One or the other, but Ned's my best friend. I wouldn't invite MJ before I invited him."

Ned had driven his car, even – MJ hadn't.

Pepper looked at Tony.

"It's your call, daddy."

That way she didn't have to be the bad guy, for a change.

Predictably, Tony didn't say no. Not only did he not want to be the bad guy and say no to Peter, the request wasn't that unreasonable. The boy already knew about the portals, so they didn't have to worry about him freaking out, and while, yes, it was another country on the other side of the planet, it was a friendly country with a stable environment.

"He brings sunscreen and a hat," Tony said.

"And you don't go _near_ the rhinos," Pepper added.

Peter grinned.

"Thanks."

"And we don't tell his mother we're taking him to Africa."

"Yeah. Of course not. We'll save that for another time."

"Sure we can't stay?" Pepper asked, standing up and gathering the remains of their dinner and putting it on the cart.

"I'm sure you don't _need_ to," he replied.

"Then we'll see you – _here in your bed_ – in the morning," Tony told him. "You can call Ned and see if he can come, and then have him go to the safe house. We'll impose on Stephen to portal him in."

"Sounds good."

Pepper hugged him, mindful of his bandages, and pressed a kiss on his cheek.

"Good night, son."

He smiled; she didn't call him that very often, really.

"Good night."

Tony didn't hug him, but he did meet Peter's eyes, giving him a last-minute check – just to make sure.

"If you need anything, call or have Karen call. I don't want you wandering the corridors."

"So someone doesn't slip on my inside when they fall out?"

Pepper rolled her eyes.

"That's gross, Peter."

"But, yeah," Tony added. "That's why. Get some rest. I don't want you grumpy, tomorrow."

They left and he eased himself back into the bed, wincing when he tried to roll onto his side.

"_I like your parents,"_ Alec told him, amused.

"Yeah, I do, too."

Then he went to sleep.


	39. Chapter 39

It was a bit earlier than they expected when Stephen Strange walked into Peter's bedroom the next day. He was surprised to find the room almost empty, with only Peter lounging in his bed, Nutmeg sitting on his chest and the boy looking at his phone.

Not surprisingly, the cloak immediately soared over and wrapped itself around him, humming in his mind, happily.

"Where are the folks?" Stephen asked, walking over to the bed.

"They went to get ready for the day," Peter told him, sitting up a bit and setting Nutmeg to the side. "And to make sure that Steve didn't need anything from Tony."

"How do you feel?"

"Not too bad. A little sore."

"You had breakfast?"

"Yeah. Tony and Pepper ate with me." Peter smiled. "Did _you_?"

Strange was amused by the question.

"Of course. Did you sleepwalk last night?"

"No." Peter smiled, wryly. "Little victories, right?"

"I'd call that a _big_ one, really. I have to admit that I anticipated it."

"I think I probably _would_ have, but Tony did a good job talking me down right off the bat, and it kept me from getting more freaked out than I would have."

Not to mention having Alec on the inside, also doing some fast talking and serious reassuring.

"I'm glad to hear it. Are you up to going to Wakanda, today?"

"Yeah. Definitely. I invited Ned, and his mom said it was okay. Do you mind making a portal to the safehouse to bring him here?"

"Of course. Now?"

"He's there, waiting."

"Get out of bed and walk across the room for me, will you?"

Peter did as he was told; getting up and double checking that Nutmeg was on the bed before he walked carefully to his dresser and back, ignoring the slight ache in his stomach and grateful to Pepper and Tony for helping him rest, before, so he wouldn't look so tired, now. The cloak crooned encouragement into his mind.

"What are you doing out - _oh_."

Tony had walked in on the quick exam and was immediately concerned when he saw Peter out of bed, considerably less so when he realized Strange was there with him. When first meeting the sorcerer, it was common for him to have Friday announce when the magician had popped himself into the compound. That wasn't a concern any longer, and the AI knew it, and didn't bother to make the alert, more than aware that Stephen was considered an ally.

"Tony…"

"Morning, Stephen." He went to stand beside the doctor, who was somewhat hidden by the bedroom door. "How's he doing?"

"Looks like he's progressing well." Strange smiled; that smile of his that was a cross of amused and interested. One Peter was so used to seeing. "I decided that I'd make sure he was fit before subjecting him to Ned."

"He asked about bringing Ned?"

"Yes, and it isn't a problem. Wong has invited himself, also – just as a contingency."

"The more security, the better," Tony agreed. "Not that I expect to have a problem, but for all we know the place could be teeing with these skrull. Like Steve said; better safe than sorry."

"That is Wong's opinion, too." He turned his attention to Peter, who had doggedly been walking back and forth – just to prove himself fit. "You're good, Peter. A couple of more days away from the shower, and no sudden movements, alright?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

"Call Ned and make sure he stays away from the center of the living room and I'll open a portal for him, if he's ready."

Five minutes later, Ned was emerging from the ring of fire in Peter's living room, under the watchful eyes of Tony, Stephen, Peter and Nutmeg. The boy was carrying a backpack and looked around, completely nonplussed about instant portal travel.

Proving once again, that one can get used to almost anything.

"Hey, Doctor Strange – thanks," Ned said as the portal closed. "Hey, Peter. Mr. Stark."

"Good morning, Ned," Tony told the boy, watching as he dropped his backpack on Peter's sofa. He gave the cloak a high-five that made both men shake their heads, and then immediately reached for Nutmeg, who was willing to change hands, yet again, for some pettings and cuddles. "Have you had breakfast?"

"Yes, thank you. Mom made rolls." He looked at the others. "Sorry. I didn't bring any."

"We've eaten," Stephen assured him.

"We're not heading out for a couple of hours," Tony told Peter. "Stay out of trouble, and we'll see you in the lounge – we'll probably eat a light lunch before going."

Peter nodded and the two men left, closing the door behind them.

"Dude, I'm so stoked. _Wakanda_? Seriously?"

Peter grinned.

"Yeah, I thought you'd approve."

"Thanks for getting me invited. Who's all going?"

"A lot of us. There's more going on than just a quick tour of Wakanda – but I couldn't tell you over the phone, of course. Steve and Stephen and Wong are going to be double-checking that there aren't any aliens in Wakanda; we're just going to be able to hang out with Shuri and see how my zebra is doing."

"Aliens…?" Ned echoed. "Like from outer space?"

His friend nodded.

"Yeah. You're _way_ behind. Carol has-"

"Who?"

"Carol Danvers. She's… well, she's a former Air Force captain who is now some kind of space-faring superhero in her own right. She's been working with a group of shape-shifting aliens and came back because she heard there were skrulls on earth and they were looking for one of the infinity stones."

"Vision's? Or Doctor Strange's?"

Ned, of course, knew all about the infinity stones. Peter realized that it was a good thing his friend was fairly unassuming, because he knew a lot of secrets that no one would expect, just to look at him.

"Neither. This one isn't here."

"Wow."

"I'll introduce you to her as soon as we see her, but you should see the security footage of what she can do," he said, amused by his friend's reaction. "Karen? Will you pull up the footage of Captain Danvers' initial arrival, please?"

Ned watched as the high definition screen in Peter's room turned on, showing almost immediately Peter and Tony out in the field playing catch, followed by Danvers' arrival, the subsequent short exchange of energy and then it ending with everyone heading inside.

"Holy _shit_, dude…"

"Right? Crazy, isn't it?"

"Yeah. You were playing _catch_?"

Peter rolled his eyes, smiling.

"_Funny_." He took his cat from Ned. "Let's go see if she's around. I'll introduce you."

On the way, he could catch him up on most of the things he'd missed.

OOOOOO

Danvers was around. She was in the lounge, sitting at a table with Steve, Natasha, Clint and Nick Fury. Standing close by were Tony, Stephen and a few of the unit commanders that were assigned to the military teams that were more or less based out of the compound.

Everyone looked up when Peter and Ned walked in, but most of them turned their attention back to the display they were studying after a moment, and Peter walked over with Ned in tow. He could see they were studying a layout of the Wakandan capitol, and Peter decided that they were probably working with T'Challa or Okoye to decide where best to put their people.

He wondered what would happen if they found that Okoye was a skrull – but knew she couldn't be, since she had been in the compound and hadn't had any lizard features come out during the time she'd been there.

"Hey Carol? I wanted to introduce you to my friend, Ned. Ned, this is Captain Carol Danvers."

Ned grinned, offering her his hand, and she gave him a slight smile.

"I've heard a lot about you, Ned."

"Yeah?" he was pleased. "I've heard about you, too, Captain."

"Carol," she corrected, glancing at Steve. "Too many captains being bandied about and it could get complicated."

Ned nodded.

"Nice to meet you."

"We'll let you guys get back to your plans," Peter told them, well aware that they were holding everything up, but knowing that the others didn't mind too much. "We'll see you guys, later."

He and Ned then walked over to Tony, who forced himself not to reach for Peter's forehead.

"Where's Natasha?" Ned asked, curiously.

"Coming in, now," Peter said, looking at the entrance, where – sure enough – Natasha was walking in, wearing her usual leather uniform and bristling with firepower.

She saw the boys and headed their way, rather than join Steve and Clint and the others at the table.

"Hey, guys," she said, greeting Ned with one of her dazzling smiles that made the boy blush, and then looking Peter over, thoroughly. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm good," Peter assured her. "Hardly hurts, this morning."

She'd been by to check on him before bed the night before, too, and had offered to cuddle with him for a while. Peter knew that she would have stayed with him all evening, and while he appreciated it – just like he had with Tony and Pepper – he was honestly hoping to manage to stay in his bed on his own. When he'd explained it to her, she'd understood – and had even looked proud of him for making the effort.

She hadn't argued with him, anyway – although she wasn't above teasing him about preferring Nutmeg's company over her own. She'd laughingly declined his impertinent offer to let her take the kitten back to her quarters for the night, reminding him that she had some breakable souvenirs on the shelves in her quarters and Nutmeg was already becoming an Avengers legend for his ability to knock things that weighed much more than he did off of shelves.

"Are you coming to Wakanda with us, Ned?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"It's safe enough, right?" Tony asked.

"We're not expecting any trouble," she confirmed, following his gaze to the group gathered around the table, still planning. Yes, she was wearing a sidearm – and Peter knew she probably had more than just the one that was visible – but she looked relaxed and cheerful. "That's all just in case. Steve and I are great believers in being prepared for the worst and being pleasantly surprised in the event nothing happens."

Which Peter already knew, since he'd heard her say it before – and had heard Steve and Nick both mention it, as well. Ned grinned, though, relieved that she hadn't vetoed the idea of him going along.

He wanted to see Wakanda.


	40. Chapter 40

"Everyone ready?"

Strange looked at the people who were gathered in the gym; a team of twenty-four specialists, three of their best commanders, Wong, Tony, Pepper, Natasha, Carol, Peter, Steve and a very excited Ned. The boy was standing right beside Peter – mainly because Tony had told him to stick near Peter – especially if something ended up happening.

Not that they expected it, but it was always better to have a contingency plan.

"Let's go, Stephen," Tony said, looking back at Bruce, who was standing in the room as well, but wasn't going with them. "Don't forget to feed Peter's cat."

"I won't."

"And _Jack_," Steve added.

This trip to Wakanda was the last place they wanted a half-grown puppy distracting them – although Jack was beginning to learn a few manners under Steve's loving tutelage.

"And Ironpig," Ned said, grinning over at Natasha, who had asked Tony of he was going to be returning the piglet to his homeland.

Which had earned her a scowl, and a reminder that they'd used the piglet for what was basically a living football. He wasn't going to allow them a second chance to nibble on his baby.

The assassin smiled her approval, but then turned serious and focused on Strange, who had waited, patiently, for the signal.

"We're ready, Stephen," Tony told him.

A moment later there was portal in the gym, and they were heading through it, all weapons snug in their holsters or slung over shoulders. They weren't invading Wakanda, after all, and it had been advised that they make a point of coming through the portal looking like a _relief_ force, not an army. Ned and Peter hung back with Tony and Pepper – and Strange. They weren't even part of the relief force; they were just tourists, and they didn't want to be in the way.

"Thank you, Stephen," Pepper said as she headed for the portal once the security teams were through. "It's much easier this way."

"You're welcome. Just keep what's his name, here, out of trouble, alright?" he requested, nodding his head toward Tony. "Wong and I may, _potentially_, be busy, and I might not have time to come rescue him."

"I'm not the troublemaker in this group," Tony reminded all of them. "_Ned_ here is."

Without another word, he took Pepper's hand and walked with her through the portal, leaving Ned sputtering a disclaimer.

"Me?" Ned echoed, looking at Peter – and then at Strange. "I didn't try to steal a rhino."

"Well, don't try this time, either," the sorcerer told him, winking, and gesturing for him to get going.

Peter laughed and walked with his friend into the portal – leaving the gym in the Avengers compound and arriving in Wakanda an instant later.

OOOOOOO

"_Peter!"_

He found himself immediately engulfed in a hug – which he enthusiastically returned, hugging Shuri, tightly, wondering how many protocols she was breaking by hugging him before all the formal greetings. Looking around, however, as he finally released her with another smile, he saw that there were only a few Wakandans, and none of them were standing formally.

Not even the security.

"Hey, Shuri," he said, glad that she was there. "How are you?"

"I am fine," she replied, stepping back, her eyes on his face, clearly looking for any indication that he was still upset. She was his friend, though, and knew him well enough that she wasn't going to have to try and guess. "How are you? Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah." He was even able to give her a chagrined look, instead of something sad. "I'm sorry about what happened. I didn't mean to ruin your visit to the compound."

"It is nothing. But I am glad to see you smiling."

She was also friend enough that she could be honest with him.

"I'm fine," he said. "Look who came with us?"

Shuri smiled and hugged Ned, too.

"Hello, Ned. Welcome to Wakanda."

"Thanks." He looked around the small, secured room they were standing in. "It looks just like New York."

"Because we are not really going to broadcast the reason for so many outsiders being here," T'Challa said, coming over to greet Peter – and Ned – having just finished flirting with Pepper and greeting Tony. "You will be in the countryside with Shuri while we position Steve's people and Stephen sets up the technology that will reveal any intruders in my city."

Shuri rolled her eyes.

"He doesn't want me close – just in case."

"I will feel better that you are with Tony and Peter," her brother told her. He turned to Ned with a smile and a slight nod. "Welcome to Wakanda, Ned."

"Thanks for letting me come, T'Challa."

"You are welcome." He turned to Peter. "May I speak with you – alone – for a moment, Peter?"

"Oh. Yeah. Sure."

The young king led him away from the others, followed only by Okoye, who was almost always an ever-present shadow, guarding her king. When he was certain no one could hear him, he stopped, looking at the boy.

"I know you were upset to hear of the deaths of Gerard Poole and the men with him."

Okoye had a chagrined expression that she wasn't able to hide, well aware that she was the one who had blurted that information out.

"Oh. No. Yeah, I was just… I guess, blindsided. I didn't know-"

"I am certain Tony spoke with you – and maybe Natasha or Pepper, but I have to admit to you that I am still grateful to you for taking care of Shuri when I was unable to be there for her. The fact that you killed the man is unfortunate – because it upset you – but Poole is no longer a threat to my sister, anywhere or at any time. I know such finality is not what you would normally intend., but it is a relief. Pease do not be stressed because of what you were forced to do."

"Thanks, T'Challa," Peter said, completely understanding what he was being told – and agreeing with him, to a point. "I appreciate that."

"Good." He smiled, then. "On a much lighter note, the guides have been tracking your zebra and I have a land sled waiting to take you to see him. He is near the villa – so you will be able to stay there while the others are implementing a security sweep through the city."

"Nothing I can do to help?"

"No. But thank you."

They walked back to where Strange was now standing beside Tony and Pepper, with Ned, Natasha and Shuri also standing near at hand. Wong had already joined Steve and the security teams standing in front of a wall-sized display that was currently showing an overview of the capitol.

"Alright," Tony said, after a quick glance to make sure Peter was still alright, and looking pleased that he seemed fine. Maybe even better than before. "What's the game plan, T'Challa?"

"The land sled is waiting. There will be a guide and a small security team. Peter's zebra was last seen with its mother near the villa you and Pepper used for your honeymoon."

"Nice. Thank you."

Shuri smiled, putting her arm around Peter, loosely, and then the other around Ned.

"I am glad to be able to show Ned Wakanda. We will show you as much as we can during the short time you are here."

"You understand no pictures, right?" Tony asked Ned. "At least none that you can post on your social media, or show your mom."

"We do not mind him sharing images of Wakanda, Tony," T'Challa said.

"Yeah, and I appreciate that," Tony replied, sincerely. "But his _mother_ thinks that he's hanging out with us at the compound, commiserating with Peter over his appendix surgery – _not_ going on safari in Africa."

T'Challa chuckled.

"Then we had better get you on your way. If anything comes up, I will only be a call away."

"Thanks."

The young king of Wakanda nodded to one of the other security people and she gestured for them to follow her.

"This is going to be so cool," Ned said, unable to hide his excitement.

He didn't care that he couldn't tell anyone else that he'd been there. It was still going to be a blast.


	41. Chapter 41

"_Peter!"_

They hadn't gone further than the end of the hallway when a woman's voice made everyone stop and turn, and Peter smiled, even as he found himself engulfed in yet another hug – this time from someone much older than himself. He held her close for probably longer than politeness required and she was in no hurry to pull away.

"Hi, Romanda," he said, when they finally pulled apart. "How are you?"

"I am well." She held him at arms' length, but didn't release him, looking him over, carefully. "Shuri said that you had to have surgery?"

"My appendix," he confirmed. "I'm fine, though. It wasn't too bad."

"Don't listen to him, Romanda," Tony told her, stepping forward to greet her, as well. "It was horrible. His insides slid out, and they were all over the floor of his bedroom. We had to call housekeeping to-"

"Tony…" she hugged him, cutting off the story, cheerfully. "How is your piglet?" she asked as they separated.

"Looking delicious. Smells like bacon."

Pepper rolled her eyes, and also hugged Romanda.

"He buys him sweaters, and tells him bedtime stories. I'm surprised that Peter doesn't have self-worth issues, really – being replaced by a _piglet_."

"He's a cute one, though," Tony pointed out.

"This is my friend Ned," Peter introduced him, before Shuri could. "Romanda is Queen mother here," he added to Ned, but the other boy nodded, stepping forward and offering her his hand.

"I've heard a lot about you," he said, cheerfully.

"And I, you, Ned," Romanda agreed. "Welcome to Wakanda."

"Thanks."

"You are taking them out into the countryside?" she asked Shuri.

"Yes. No sense sticking to the city, when we can go looking for the zebra."

The older woman smiled at Peter.

"You may not keep him," she said, firmly. "I have been keeping track of him, and he is fast becoming a favorite."

"We're just looking, today," Peter promised her.

"Make sure you come say goodbye before going home."

"I will."

They continued their walk, and Shuri took them first on one of the mag trains, which had Ned buzzing with excitement at the tech involved, and then to the edge of the city, where sleds were waiting for them.

"Always two," she reminded them as they loaded into the same one. "Just in case something happens."

"Are we going to see lions?" Ned asked, tearing his attention from the technology of the land sleds to look at the countryside around them. Outside the city it was green and brown and the sun was making everything look especially bright. Even a city kid like Ned could appreciate the beauty around him. "Or panthers?"

"We might see lions," she replied, looking at the guide, who nodded his agreement. They'd make sure the visitors saw lions. "Panthers are more solitary, and they hide until evening."

"We saw a cheetah on the way here," the guide said. "We will try to find it, again, for you."

"Wow. Thanks."

Ned went to the front of the sled, unable to keep still long enough to actually sit down, and Peter joined him, sitting on the edge of the vehicle when it started to move out. Shuri joined them, but Tony and Pepper found seats in the back, making sure their hats were on to shade them from the sun and giving them a good view of the kids.

"I wish he wouldn't sit like that…" Pepper said. "I just know he's going to fall off and get run over by the other sled before they can stop."

"The kid sticks to walls, momma," Tony reminded her. "He's not going to fall off."

"I know. It's just…"

"Yeah, I know." Tony smiled, raising his voice. "_Peter_!?" He waited for the boy to turn and look at him. "Don't sit there, son. I don't want you to fall off."

The boy nodded and hopped off the edge, pretending to lose his balance as he did and waving his arms, crazily – which made Shuri and Ned laugh, and Pepper to shake her head.

"It's probably too late to _ground_ him, isn't it?"

"All his fun stuff is in his room," Tony reminded her. "If you want to make him miserable, we'll have to ground him to the gym, or something."

"I'll think about it."

OOOOOOO

"There are five key places we'd like your security people," T'Challa said to Steve as they walked out of the room that they had all entered Wakanda through. "They are centralized, to ensure if we do find an alien in my city, it will only take a moment for my people – and yours – to get there and subdue them."

"Who all knows what's coming?" Carol asked, curiously, looking out a window as they passed.

She hadn't heard of Wakanda until the day before, but was curious about the place, now.

"No one." T'Challa's expression was serious. "Okoye and Shuri are the only two who truly know why you are here. The others – including my security people – have only been told you will be arriving this morning, and will be staying the day – as a readiness drill in case we require assistance from your people."

"In case we _do_ have one of these aliens, we do not know who it might be," Okoye explained. "And we would prefer not to warn them ahead of time."

"And if one is exposed when the spell is cast, our people will contain – and not injure – and then we'll turn them over to you."

"What would we do with an alien?" T'Challa asked.

"I'll take care of him for you," Carol offered, a slight smile on her face. "The big thing – if it were to happen – is to find the person they simmed and make sure they're alright."

"Correct."

"My commanders are ready to be placed where you want them," Steve said.

"T'Challa looked at Strange and Wong.

"Are you ready?"

"Whenever you are," Strange replied.

OOOOOO

"So, school starts soon?"

"Monday," Peter confirmed.

"Will you be ready to go?" Ned asked, curiously. "With your surgery, I mean?"

"Yeah. I think so. I don't want to start my Junior year off to a rocky start; it's supposed to be the hardest one."

"That's what my mom says, too."

"I wish I could have gone to a school such as yours," Shuri said. "It would have been exciting."

"You'd have been one of the popular kids," Peter said. "We'd never have been friends."

"Totally," Ned, agreed.

"What?" she seemed scandalized. "_Why not_?"

"Because Peter and I are nerds. The pretty girls – even the smart ones – don't hang out with nerds."

"What about MJ?"

"She's a rule unto herself," Ned replied, sagely. "She _could_ be popular – she's pretty enough to be – but she doesn't like people, really, and she an introvert. The popular kids _have_ to be willing to smooze…"

Shuri gave him a look.

"_Smooze_?"

"Trust me," Ned told her. "She can't smooze."

They were interrupted by Tony and Pepper, who had stood up and walked to the front of the sled.

"What are you guys talking about?" Tony asked, curiously. "Do we even want to know?"

"We were thinking about taking up smoking," Peter told him, keeping his expression serious. "Shuri was going to find us some cigarettes."

"Since we're not old enough to buy any back home," Ned added.

Tony looked at Shuri, waiting for her to add to the already ridiculous – but hilarious – story. She didn't fail.

"_And_ we are going to join a _gang_," she said.

Pepper snorted. An inelegant noise that made all of them smile.

"What?" Peter said, acting indignant. "We could _totally_ join a gang."

"Not without a note from your parents."

"Tony would let me join a gang if I wanted…"

"So would my mom," Ned added.

They looked at Shuri.

"I am a _princess_," she said, shrugging. "I would not need permission."


	42. Chapter 42

By land sled, it didn't take all that long to make it to the area around the villa where they had stayed their last time in Wakanda. And there was plenty to see on the way.

Herds of gazelle, a few elephants that the guides gave a wide berth, and crocodiles. All of it was new to Ned, who watched it all with excitement, and still new enough to Peter that he was able to share his friend's enthusiasm without hesitation. An hour into the journey, as they were slowly going by a pride of sleeping lions, Tony reported that Steve had just radioed in that they were in place and were going to set the spell.

"It'll take a while to run a full security sweep of the entire capitol and the area around it," he said. "But they shouldn't need more than the day to do it."

"And they'll call if they need help?" Pepper asked.

He nodded, and then shrugged.

"They should be fine, though. Wong and Stephen would be my first choice for back up."

"And Carol," Peter added.

"Yeah. That's true." He smiled, and leaned back in his seat, covering his eyes with the hat he was wearing. "Looks like we're in the clear to enjoy ourselves this afternoon."

"Good."

Peter grinned and turned back to the lions, taking a picture of Ned, who had positioned himself to make it look like he was right up beside a big male, instead of in the land sled safely our of reach of those giant claws.

OOOOO

"Ready?"

Wong and Stephen both looked at Natasha, who was acting as liaison for the two magicians. Which only made sense. She tapped her ear.

"Steve?"

"_We're ready. T'Challa's in the command center for the capitol. He'll direct us if there is any place we need to go as they start running through their security feeds."_

"Roger."

She looked at Strange.

"They're ready, Stephen."

The two magicians looked at each other, but didn't need to do a countdown or anything. They had worked together many times, after all. Both swept their right hands to the side and then, with a gesture, the entire area was washed in the light that signified the spell was being cast.

Natasha watched with the same interest that she always showed when the sorcerers were working. Wong looked over at her and nodded. She tapped her ear, again.

"It's set, Steve." She settled in on a tabletop, and reached for a piece of fruit, looking at the magicians, again. "Now we just wait to hear if they need any help."

"We don't need to wait _here_, though, right?" Wong asked.

"No."

"Then I'd like to go look around."

Natasha smiled; not at all surprised.

"Sounds good." She hopped off the table, gracefully. "Let's go."

OOOOO

"There he is," Peter said, pointing.

Ned frowned, looking at the small zebra that was pointing at.

"It looks like every other little one," he said. "How do you know which one is really your zebra?"

Shuri smiled.

"Look closer," she told him. "Peter's foal was captured and tagged so he could be tracked by the guides. See the yellow tag in his ear?"

"Oh. Yeah." He grinned, suddenly. "He's cute."

"I know, right?" Peter said, looking as proud as if he was the little guy's mother.

_She_, of course, was hovering close to the colt, who had grown considerably since the last time they were there, and was watching them, suspiciously.

"They are very close to the villa," Shuri pointed out. "We can have lunch there."

"They will get closer, too," the guide said, listening to the conversation. "The were right up to the shield yesterday when we came to search for them."

Shuri smiled.

"Excellent."

Tony slapped Peter's shoulder, having come over to look at the herd of zebra, as well.

"He looks good."

"Yeah."

Despite the serious reason for the others to be in Wakanda, Peter was having a good time. It was warm – it was _Wakanda_, after all – but it wasn't stifling hot, and he was enjoying the fact that there was nothing more on the line, just then, then finding the zebra and spending some time with the rest of them.

"We will be at the villa in five minutes," the guide told them, and they all felt the shift as the sled turned to make the final approach.

"This place is really nice," Pepper said to Ned.

"There is a chef there, preparing our meal," the guide added.

"I hope it's water buffalo," Ned said, cheerfully, looking back at the zebra, once more.

Tony rolled his eyes.

"Would you know it if you had it?"

"Good point."

It was just the _idea_, after all.

OOOOOO

Lunch _wasn't_ water buffalo. It was fish, salad and mashed sweet potatoes – with ice cream for dessert. When they finished eating, the kids went back outside, unwilling to be in when there was no tech inside, and plenty of interesting things to see outside. Tony and Pepper lingered over their meal, telling the teens to stay close.

That wasn't a problem, as it turned out.

The zebra were practically at the doorstep of the villa, by then, and some were only fifty feet or so away from the front door – although they shied a bit and wandered off to increase the distance.

"There's _your_ guy," Ned said, pointing to the tagged zebra colt – who was easy spot in the crowd once he knew what to look for. "He's _close_…"

Peter nodded.

"Yeah."

They watched for a moment, and Ned nudged Peter.

"Remember that story we read about the kids from the Apache tribe?"

"Yes." He frowned. "No."

"Come on… You could probably do it…"

"Do what?" Shuri asked, curiously.

"Nothing," Peter told her, shaking his head.

Ned grinned.

"We read this story about Apache – that's a tribe of Indians back home – kids who would prove they were old enough to be called men and get married and be warriors by sneaking into another tribe's camp and slap a handprint on their horses to prove they'd been there. It's an insult to have it done to you, but you have to be sneaky."

"What does that have to do with his zebra?" she asked, curiously.

"He wants me to try and sneak up on him and slap a handprint on the colt."

She grinned, excited.

"Do you think you could?"

"No. I'd probably get eaten by a lion, or something, before I got close."

The guides had been standing close by, and they started talking to each other, chuckling and looking at Peter – who they'd both spent plenty of time with the last time the boy had been there. Peter heard the, and shook his head, even though they weren't speaking English.

"What are they saying?" Ned asked, curiously.

"They are debating whether Peter can sneak up on the zebra, or not," Shuri said.

"They're betting on it," Peter corrected, amused. "But if they want to see a handprint on that critter they can slap it on there, themselves. I'm not going to get eaten, and let Stephen get the last word."

"You would not get eaten," the guide assured him. "The zebra are very calm – which means there are no predators, at the moment. As long as you stay away from the water you will avoid the crocodiles."

"Try it, Peter…" Ned said, grinning. "He's really close."

"_You_ do it, then."

He sounded like he wasn't interested, but really, he _was_. Not to measure if he was a man, or to prove a point, but just to see if he could do it.

"_It's not a great idea…"_ Alec sounded uncertain in Peter's mind. "_I doubt Tony or Pepper would approve."_

"Yeah." He smiled, looking at the guides. "We're sure there aren't any lions or other predators? Not even an angry looking gazelle?"

He wasn't worried about Tony and Pepper; they might think he's being reckless, but they had to know that he wouldn't do anything too crazy and worry them. Especially after having surgery so recently.

"We will keep an eye out. Just to make sure."

"What do I use?" Peter asked, feeling a surge of excitement, and looking at the zebra, again.

"Mud?" Ned suggested.

"Alright. I'll give it a try."


	43. Chapter 43

"Wow…"

Steve smiled over at Danvers, who was looking out over the view of the city that the balcony afforded them. First, she looked around, and then she leaned over to look down, impressed by just how high up they were.

"Don't fall off," he warned her. "We're here to help out, not splatter ourselves onto their sidewalks."

She smirked, looking up at him, her expression amused.

"I don't see any sidewalks down there."

"Good point."

"Besides," she reminded him. "I can _fly_."

He rolled his eyes at the cocky attitude, but his smile was sincere when he looked at her. He had to expect it; she was – or _had been_ – an Air Force pilot, and while he was firmly in camp Army, he had to admit that some of the Air Force folks he'd met in his many – _many_ – years in the military were amazing people. And he'd never met a pilot who wasn't self-assured and just a little cocky.

Natasha and Clint were prime examples.

"In that case, keep an eye on me – just in case _I_ fall off," he told her. "I expect you to catch me."

Carol chuckled at that and gave him a look that he couldn't quite interpret.

"You can count on it."

_Watching_ him, or _catching_ him? Unaccountably, Steve blushed, and _that_ made Danvers smile, too.

Before he could say anything that might save his dignity – or send it into a _tailspin_ – his comm unit clicked, distracting him.

"_Looks clear, so far,"_ Natasha reported. "_Where are you, Steve?"_

He tapped his ear.

"Someplace really – _really_ – high."

Even over the radio, he could hear the amusement in her voice when she replied.

"_Can you be a little more specific? That describes a lot of places, here."_

"We're in the north quadrant. Out on one of the balconies. No one's reporting anything out of order, yet – and it sounds like T'Challa's security people have cleared all of their own, so far. There are a couple of groups that are out of the city but were inbound so we're going to make sure we wait around for them to hit the perimeter of Stephen's spell before we decide to leave it to them and go. Maybe another four or five hours."

"_Roger. We'll keep in touch."_

"Yeah. Rogers out."

He turned back to Carol.

"So far, so good."

Another smirk, and another look that he couldn't figure out.

"Definitely."

OOOOOOO

"You haven't heard anything?"

"No, Pep. They've started their scans, but they are keeping our people where they are – acting casual and just chatting with whatever Wakandans come up to them – until they actually find something. Or someone, in this case. So far, all we're doing here is giving the Wakandans someone new to talk to."

"Which isn't a bad thing, at all."

"Right?"

"Could you use Friday to make their scans go faster?"

Tony nodded, stretching and nodding a thank you to the server, who was removing the dishes from the table.

"I could – and she _would_ – but it's not really necessary. The tech they have here is first rate. They don't need me sticking my nose into their security any more than we already have."

Pepper smiled at that. It was very rare for him to be impressed with anyone other than himself (although he wasn't anywhere near as narcissistic as he once had been, and she knew it) so it was enjoyable to watch when he found something that went into that category. Or _someone_.

Stephen and Wong were right up there on the list of people that Tony was impressed with and of course _Peter_ was at the very top of the list for so many reasons. She knew _she_ was on it, as well – he said it often enough, and she believed it. The Wakandans – Shuri and T'Challa, especially – were firmly placed there, now that Tony had had a chance to get to know them.

"I'm in no hurry to speed things along," she admitted. "This is nice. And it gave Peter a chance to finish his visit with Shuri before school starts."

"And gave Ned a chance to come for a visit, too. I definitely approve."

"_You_ approve of anything that makes Peter happy," she accused him, smiling.

"Guilty." He didn't deny it – and knew _she_ was just as bad. "We should probably go see what they're up to, though. It's been pretty quiet for too long. It makes my spider senses tingle."

Pepper chuckled at that and stood, waiting for him to stand before they headed for the door, hand in hand.

OOOOOOO

"So far, so good…"

Ned and Shuri – _and_ the two guides – were so intent on the lone figure who was crouched behind the small boulder maybe a hundred yards away from the villa that none of them noticed when they were suddenly no longer alone.

"What's going on?"

Ned jumped, clutching his heart, dramatically, and turned around to see Tony and Pepper had joined them.

"Jeez. You scared me."

Shuri grinned; she'd been startled, too, but not as badly – and the look she gave the adults wasn't quite as guilty as the one Ned gave them.

"The question remains on the table," Tony said, amused at the reaction, and just a little curious. "Why is Peter hiding behind a rock and not over here?"

"He is going to tag the zebra," the guide said before the two teens could figure out a way to reply that didn't make it sound quite so unreasonable.

"What?" Pepper's reaction was exactly why the teens had assumed a little more diplomacy might have been needed. "What do you mean, _tag_, it?"

"He's going to try to sneak up on it and slap a handprint on it."

"Why would he do that?" Tony asked, tensing, as Peter left the cover of the rock he'd been by and moved carefully over to a small stand of brush.

The zebra saw him; they were always alert and wary, Tony knew, but the boy wasn't threatening – and he wasn't too close, yet, so they were willing to just keep an eye on him, so far.

Ned hesitated – and now he looked a little guilty.

"Because I maybe told him to try…?"

Pepper frowned.

"You what?"

"Well, it's from a story we read in history class – or maybe it was English, I don't remember. These kids would prove they were men by sneaking into another tribe's camp, and slap a handprint on their horses, just-"

"Horses, yes," Pepper said, unimpressed. "Zebra are a lot more dangerous. They can kill lions with a single kick."

"Your son is safe," the guide assured her, placatingly. "He picked up a rhino calf. A zebra colt should be no problem."

"And its _mother_?" Pepper asked. "What about _her_? She's not going to appreciate a stranger sneaking up on her baby and trying to touch him."

Tony turned his head to hide his sudden amusement. He didn't know about a zebra mother worrying about her baby, but he was getting an up-close demonstration of a _human_ mother doing just that – and it was a sight to see.

The guide shrugged.

"If he touches it, I win a goat."

Pepper rolled her eyes, and turned to Tony, probably to tell him to go rescue her baby. It turned out to not be necessary, though. The zebras were far too skittish to allow anyone too close, and a couple of stallions turned and headed Peter's way as the rest of the group trotted off, a little.

The boy wasn't dumb enough to think he could negotiate, and he backed off, quickly, turning and heading back to the group by the villa at a trot, followed for a few seconds by the male zebras – until they caught sight of all the others. Then they turned and went to join their herd.

"Fail," Ned said as Peter reached them, wiping a muddy hand off on his jeans.

"Yeah. Probably just as well." He looked at Tony and Pepper, noticing that Pepper looked worried. "I was fine," he added, quickly. "They didn't let me close."

"Did you really think that was a good idea?"

"Well, at the time – a _little_?"

"Did _Alec_?" Tony asked.

"No."

"_He just realized that I have no control over you_," Alec said, speaking up for the first time since the whole idea had come up. "That's going to be nothing but a good thing. It'll make him feel less concerned about me trying to take over and use you to dominate the galaxy."

"_Could we really do that?"_ Peter asked, silently.

"_With the power you could control through the infinity stones? Almost certainly."_

"Don't do it, _again_," Tony said, although his expression was suddenly clear and not as concerned. Proving that Alec was almost certainly right. "_Please_? I don't want to have to try and rescue you from a stampede of zebras."

"A _rhino_ stampede was bad enough," Pepper added.

"There were only _two_ rhino," Shuri pointed out. And faltered under Pepper's mom look. A look that the girl had yet to have turned on her – although it was incredibly effective, princess or not. "I mean… two is not really a stampede…" she added, lamely.

Peter hugged Pepper, feeling happy and unable to stop himself – even if it was in front of his friends. He felt good. And loved. And wanted.

"I won't do it, again," he promised. "I'm sorry if I made you nervous."

She smiled, and her arms went around him, automatically.

"Apology _accepted_. Just-"

Before she could tell him whatever stipulation was coming, the zebra herd suddenly took off at a gallop, and Peter wasn't the only one to look over at an approaching cloud of dust. A land sled was coming toward the villa.

"Who's that?" Ned asked, curiously.


	44. Chapter 44

"_We've got one."_

The call came from one of the SHIELD commanders, and echoed through all of the communications shared by the visiting group. T'Challa had been standing at the main display, watching as the videos went through his city, looking for changes in his people – or a reaction on the screen that might be the result of someone seeing someone – or now something – that didn't belong.

"Where?" the young king asked, hand on the toggle for the display.

"_North side. Second quadrant."_

The screen switched, immediately, but it was still a large area, and it took a long moment for the screens to find what he was looking for.

"_We're on our way,"_ Steve's voice said, calmly, coming over the communication just as the camera locked onto the impossible sight of a green lizard-like humanoid running through the hallways of his palace_. "Keep your civilians away from it, if you can."_

Not just in the city, but in the _palace_!

T'Challa stared in shock; he truly hadn't believed that Tony was serious about the aliens – especially about them daring to come to _Wakanda_ – but there was the proof.

"We have another in the kitchens!" came an alert – this time it was from Okoye, who had been monitoring some of her own security's communications and passing information along to the king as she stood next to him. "Reports are coming from two other locations." She gave T'Challa a concerned look. "We _definitely_ have an infestation, Majesty."

"Yes." He turned to the display, and now the cameras were beginning to lock onto each individual once it had been taught what to look for. "Advise them to try and capture one – or more – alive, if they can. I would know why they are so interested in Wakanda."

"I will pass the word."

OOOOO

Peter's eyes were better than the others' and he smiled, suddenly, despite the fact that the arrival of the sled going so quickly had scared off the zebras. There was only one person in the vehicle, and he recognized him, instantly – even from a distance.

"That's _Azoru_," Peter answered, making everyone relax – and Shuri smiled.

"He has been to the capitol many times," she said to the others. "My brother thinks that he seeks a union with me, but I think he is mistaken. Not once has Azoru – or his uncle – brought the notion up – even in jest."

"T'Challa thinks he wants to _marry_ you?" Ned asked, surprised.

"Yes."

"You're too young to get _married_."

She was his age, after all – and he knew that _he_ was too young for that.

"That is what I will tell him, if the subject is broached," she assured him as the vehicle stopped beside the villa and the young Jabari noble easily hopped over the side and down to the ground, waving.

He was wearing a blanket of many colors, wrapped around one shoulder and down the side of his body, which was bare from the waist up aside from the blanket. Tan pants – not too dissimilar to khaki slacks and a pair of soft leather boots completed the outfit, and he walked over, his hand concealed under the blanket.

"Shuri!" he said by way of greeting. "I was told I would find you out here."

Peter was distracted from the arrival of his Jabari friend by an inner stirring, and a sudden jolt of alarm that he recognized as coming from Alec, even as he felt his stomach give a tingle so sharp that it almost bent him over.

Tony noticed, immediately.

"Peter?"

"_That isn't your friend,"_ Alec told him.

"Yeah." He answered aloud, hands coming up as he tried to step between Shuri and the approaching young man. There was a flash of warning – the _Mind stone_, he recognized – and a realization of what was happening and who the target was. "Shuri! Watch out!"

A dozen things seemed to happen at once, then.

Peter's suit activated, the black bleeding armor seeming to run along his body like an odd Peter-shaped oil slick. The boy's hands shifted, already glowing as a spell was brought to his mind – not by the Mind stone, but by _Alec_, who Peter realized in that moment might be just as powerful a magician as Stephen and Wong were – in a _much_ different way. He felt the power building in him, felt Alec's willingness to let him use his memories to cast the spell to use it and his hand swept wide, the spell already forming as he drew from the alien mind inside his own.

An instant later, walking toward them all was a large, imposing, green-skinned lizard-looking alien, as Azoru's form seemed to melt away.

At the same time, Tony had activated his suit, as well, not understanding exactly what the danger was, but trusting Peter's instinct enough to figure they'd subdue Azoru and straighten out the apologies later, if he was wrong. He stepped automatically between Pepper and the perceived danger, recognizing that she was defenseless just then. His hand came up, and several weapons erupted from his suit, already looking for a target.

Crazily, the Skrull's hand came out from under the ceremonial blanket he was wearing – and it held a weapon. Not one that Peter recognized, but something that looked like it was some kind of gun, maybe – or a death ray or something else.

"Watch out!" Ned shouted a warning, even as the guides dove at the not-Jabari, unarmed but willing to do whatever was needed to protect their princess.

The weapon fired, but the boy had to dodge the guides and missed the first shot. A bright red force of power that was almost certainly designed to kill whoever it came in contact with emitted from the barrel.

Hampered by the need to keep Ned out of the line of fire – and the fact that the boy was definitely in between him and his target, Tony stepped to the side.

That was the moment Peter tossed up a shield in front of Ned and Shuri – the same kind used to keep others safe when sparring. Then he turned toward the skrull, and his hands were now glowing brilliant purple.

Before he could toss the spell that was already forming – and before Tony's repulser shot at its target – the alien was suddenly thrown backward by a blue force that came whizzing past Peter – almost hitting him before it engulfed the skrull. It landed in a heap, the center of its chest a raw, gaping wound that was roughly the size of a dinner plate – and still smoking.

Tony and Peter both looked at it, shocked, and then looked at the source of the beam.

Shuri was standing in the same place that she had been. She hadn't moved when Peter had given his warning. On her hand, they all saw a huge, ugly glove of some kind, and it was glowing the same blue as the beam they'd all seen. Her expression was scared, and shocked, but it was evenly matched by the expressions on Stark and Peter.

"What the holy fuck was that?" Ned asked, sitting up as the yellow shield dropped.

"What the hell?" Tony said at the same time.

"Fuck me…" Peter whispered, loud enough that it was easily heard in the silence.

Pepper scowled, pulled from her own shock by the shitstorm of expletives, and not knowing which teenager to chew out, first. She turned to look at the dead skrull, and then at Shuri – who still hadn't moved.

"_Well, that's an interesting development,"_ Alec said, noting the surprise in everyone's minds – including the girl's. _"Not such a damsel in distress as she used to be, is she?"_

"No," Peter answered – once more speaking aloud. He dropped his hands, well aware that he wasn't going to need to cast another spell. "_Wow_."

Tony turned to Shuri, as well, noting that she was pale as her complexion would allow and that she was clearly in shock, staring at the body on the ground in front of her.

"Put the hands down, honey," he said, gently. "He's not going to get up for round two."


	45. Chapter 45

The older of the two guides reacted, first, walking over to look down at the dead body.

"What is it?" he asked, looking at the alien with clinical detachment – as if it were another animal to add to the long list of creatures that he'd seen in his many years as a guide and outdoorsman.

"A skrull," Tony said, glancing over for a moment, but moving toward Shuri, who had lowered her hand, but hadn't moved – and was still pale and scared looking.

She looked at him.

"They are _real_, then?" she asked, shakily.

He nodded, giving her a tight smile, trying to help her get over what had happened the same way that he would have done so with Peter. An arm around the shoulder and a chance to steady herself by blocking her view of the dead skrull.

"You didn't think I made it up just to get a free afternoon in Wakanda, did you?"

Which startled a weak chuckle out of her – as he'd hoped it would.

Ned scrambled to his feet, also staring at the creature.

"It looked like Azoru," he said. "Until it _didn't_. What…?"

Peter stepped to Pepper.

"Are you okay?"

She shrugged, giving him an odd look. Weird aliens attacking out of nowhere? Nothing new. She was _Tony Stark's_ wife. She'd seen it all, for the most part.

"Yes. Are _you_?"

He nodded, and they both moved over to Shuri, as well, looking at the glove on her hand.

"What was that?" Peter asked, before Tony could.

"A gauntlet," she replied, still leaning against the billionaire, but holding her hand up so they could see it. "I developed it after…" she glanced at Peter, uncertainly. "After Syracuse. Just as a precaution."

"It's nanotech?" Tony asked, using the hand that wasn't around her shoulder to touch it. He was always touching things; it was second nature to him to do so. "And some kind of power source."

"Yes. Vibranium based – the power comes from the properties of the ore; it will rub together atomically, and the resulting friction creates the force."

"That's _genius_, little girl," he told her, approvingly, giving her a hug and letting her go. "Were you hurt, at all?"

"No. I am uninjured." She looked at the skrull again, and shuddered.

Not surprisingly; it was very much dead – and very much an alien. Both were enough to put even a self-possessed princess such as herself into a bit of a tailspin. He gave Pepper a look and she smiled, nodding silently to let him know she'd take care of Shuri for the moment, and Tony walked over to stand over the corpse, next to the guides, who were both taking pictures of it.

Peter and Ned joined him.

"Wow," Ned said. "That's crazy…"

He'd been told of the skrull and had seen video, but that was nothing like seeing something in real life. Short of meeting Thor, this was his first alien, after all.

"How did you know?" Tony asked Peter. "Spider sense?"

"_Alec_. And it felt way off – almost immediately."

"So _both_."

"Yeah."

"I guess I owe him a drink."

There was a purely mental chuckle in response to that, and Peter smiled.

"You know that it would be me drinking it, right?"

"Good point. No drink." He slapped Peter on the shoulder. "You're okay? No weakness from the spell you cast?"

"Yeah. I'm good."

"Who's Alec?" Ned asked, curiously.

"We'll tell you later," Tony told him, walking back to where Shuri and Pepper were standing.

"It's dead?" Pepper asked.

"Yes. We need to make some calls, I think. Let's go inside."

That would give the guides a chance to wrap the dead alien in a blanket or something and remove it from the scene. He stopped long enough to activate the Ironman glove on one hand and picked up the alien's weapon.

"Can I have that?" Ned asked.

All of them gave him a look and he flushed.

"Sorry."

Peter smiled, though; Ned played too many D&D type games where they looted the enemies when they were done, it had been a purely automatic request.

"I doubt your mom would approve," he said. Then he looked at Pepper, who was turning toward the villa. "I know _mine_ wouldn't."

OOOOOOO

"What do we have?"

Steve wiped his forehead with his sleeve before turning to T'Challa and the large display in front of them. Carol handed him a bandage and he took it with a smile of thanks, dabbing at the gash even though he'd already smeared blood along his uniform.

"We've counted twelve, total. Three here, and one _here_…" he pointed at the corresponding spots on the display, which had a map of the palace at the moment. "We took two out in the corridor." That was where he'd been injured. "And four of them had the sorry misfortune to walk right into Natasha, Wong and Stephen. Three dead, one survived."

T'Challa didn't need to ask who had gone for the kills and who hadn't.

"And the last two?"

"Your people took one down in the kitchen – nasty bit of luck there, being surrounded by knife-wielding cooks when it changed form – and the other was one of Romanda's guards and it was killed, immediately."

"Is she alright?"

"Yes."

"Is that it, then?" Okoye asked. "Are there any others?"

"The palace is cleared," T'Challa said, before Steve could. "We have had no reports of anything – or anyone – in the capitol, itself."

"My people are cleaning up, now. Wong and Strange are going to expand the reach of the Panzer thing," Steve told him. "If they're in the city, there's no reason to believe they might not be out in the countryside."

"They have no reason to pose as farmers," Okoye reminded him.

"There are other things out there besides farms," Danvers pointed out. "What about these mines I've heard about? Vibranium is rare here, but not so rare out in space – but at least here they don't have to go looking for it."

"You think these aliens are after vibranium?"

Steve shrugged.

"No telling, really. We'll have to wait and see what we can learn from the ones we took prisoner. If-"

He was interrupted when Tony's image suddenly appeared on the display in front of them, taking place of the map of the palace. Not surprisingly, he'd hacked Friday into the communications and then the video feeds.

"_T'Challa_?"

"Tony." The Wakandan king was suddenly worried. Not only was it incredibly rude to hack his system – which Tony knew, of course (and that meant it was important) but the man looked concerned. "What is it?"

_"We just had a bit of an incident."_

"Is Shuri alright?"

Stark didn't seem surprised that his first concern was his sister. It was a natural reaction.

_"She is. But her friend Azoru just came calling here at the villa – only he turned out to be one of the skrull."_

"What?"

_"Yeah. Shuri was the target – there's no doubt about it. Have you seen anything suspicious there, yet?"_

"The palace is crawling with them, Tony," T'Challa replied. "We've caught all of them, and have taken a few prisoners."

_"This one is dead, so we're not going to get anything from it, I'm sorry to say."_

"I am not," the king told him. "I feel better with it out of the way."

_"Do we come back?"_

T'Challa hesitated, looking at Okoye and then Rogers. His palace was secured – probably – and there was a lot of open space down by the villa where Stark and Shuri were. But she was with Ironman and Peter, and that afforded her more protection that most, really.

"No. Stay there, if you would. I will make sure we have the city cleared before we bring you back. I'd rather she was where I know it is secure."

He didn't look surprised by the response.

_"Okay, then. When you're ready, have Stephen lock onto us – no sense in driving back when we can portal in."_

"Of course. Thank you."

_"Keep in touch."_

The display returned to the map of the city, and T'Challa frowned.

"We need to find out where the real Azoru is," he said to Okoye. "If he was out in the tribes, that is one thing. If he was at home, then the Jabari lands might be compromised, as well."

"Your infestation could be country-wide," Steve said.

"Correct."


	46. Chapter 46

"You're not getting any vibes about any of the others, right?" Tony asked Peter as they walked into the villa with the others.

"No. Everyone else seems to be fine."

"Alec agrees?"

A subtle indication that Tony was becoming a little more accepting of the idea that Peter had the alien in his mind – especially if Alec was going to be so useful in keeping the boy safe. Peter didn't mention it – and neither did Alec.

"Yeah. We would have caught on by now if one of the guides – or even the people that served us lunch were anything other than what they appear to be."

Tony nodded his acceptance of that.

"Why don't you keep Shuri company?" he suggested, watching the girl walk over to the sofa and seat herself, looking a lot less exuberant than she usually did. "She's had a rough time."

"Yeah." If anyone knew how she felt, it was Peter, after all. He went to join her, while Tony set the alien weapon on the table in front of him and activated a diagnostic tool with Friday to check it out, while Ned and Pepper watched with interest. "Can I sit with you?"

She smiled and nodded.

"Of course."

He sat down, wiping his hands a little.

"That was pretty scary…"

"Yes."

"You were really brave, though," he added.

"I have Ironman _and_ Spiderman looking out for me," she told him with a slightly shaky smile. "How could I be _scared_?"

"I was." He told her. "_Scared_, I mean. I was worried that he was going to hurt you before we could do anything. I'm sorry we didn't figure out sooner – before he got so close."

Shuri looked down at her hands.

"The gloves have a stunning frequency," she said. "I made them that way on purpose. To allow me to stop someone from trying to grab me – or anyone I may be with. When I saw Azoru turn into that… thing… I did not even think of the stun setting. I was afraid, so…"

He cut her off, knowing exactly what she was saying, and who better than him to understand what she felt, just then? He took her hand, and squeezed it.

"You didn't do anything wrong," he told her, gently. "It was trying to kill you, and you stopped it. I'm glad you had them on – and that you used them."

"I only ever practiced with them in my lab – against mannequins and targets."

Peter nodded.

"You did great, Shuri," he said, hugging her, impulsively, because he knew that it was what _he_ would have needed – and she didn't have her brother or her mother there to comfort her. He was willing to stand in for them, just then. Shuri sniffed and then hugged him close, burying her face against his neck and taking the comfort he was offering. "You're okay," Peter murmured, patting her back.

She just sniffed, again, in reply.

OOOOOOO

"This thing is nasty…" Tony said, softly, looking at the display on the tablet while Friday continued scanning the alien weapon.

"Is it a death ray?" Ned asked, looking over Tony's shoulder, a little, to try and see the display, as well.

"Pretty much. There's no projectile, at any rate." He shook his head. "I'm glad she put that skrull down," he said, almost whispering to Pepper, looking over at the sofa, although they couldn't see over the back of it. "It was pretty fast – and there was no hesitation."

"She was definitely a target."

"Yeah. I wonder why, though? The skrull can't have anything against her, personally, which means it's political. Either they wanted her dead to create a void, or they wanted her dead to… what? Allow one of them to pretend to be her in a long-term project of some kind?"

"Or they could want to have the Jabari at odds with the rest of Wakanda," Ned added – not quite as softly as Tony. "It was pretending to be Azoru, remember? Maybe they wanted the story to spread that it was him, particularly, that hurt her?"

Tony shrugged, looking at Pepper to see what she thought. She echoed his motion, though.

"We won't find out from him," she pointed out. "Will Steve ask Wanda to come and interrogate the ones they captured in the city? Maybe she could get that information from their minds?"

"They're technically T'Challa's prisoners," Tony reminded her. "But, yes, with aliens, I'm sure he wouldn't mind some assistance, and I imagine that someone will suggest Wanda be brought in." He looked at the sofa. "Peter?"

The boy's head popped up and he looked over at him – as Shuri looked, too.

"How much distance can that Panzer spell cover – at the most? What would it take to engulf the entire country? Could we do it?"

Peter realized he was actually asking _Alec_ and he waited for the presence in his mind to consider the question, taking what Peter knew about the geography and the distances involved – as well as the populations.

"It's not impossible, if Stephen and Wong were willing to help, again. Another thought, though, is to let me get close enough to one of the skrull they caught in the capitol to see if we'd need to do anything. They're almost certainly acting together, and the ones in the palace will know how much further the infestation would go."

"I doubt they would be willing to tell you, though," Shuri said.

"They don't need to."

Tony nodded his agreement. To the plan – and to the comment.

"We'll give T'Challa a chance to secure his city and call us," he decided. "Then I'll make the suggestion and see what he says."

"He doesn't get near them alone, though," Pepper reminded him, firmly.

"Of course not, dear."

OOOOOO

It was a few hours before they decided that the city was secure. The royal guards and all the Wakandan security folks had all be cleared, now, and once they were, it had been explained to them what was going on and what to watch for. Then they'd been posted at the perimeters of the city, to watch those coming in – just in case they happened to change when they crossed the threshold of the spell's boundaries.

Romanoff frowned when she and Wong walked into the briefing room with Stephen.

"What happened to _you_?" she asked Steve, watching as Carol bandaged a cut on his forehead.

"His skrull beat him up," Danvers said, looking over at them, and not bothering to hide her amusement.

"It didn't beat me up," Steve said. "He just got a lucky shot when I was looking at the other one."

"There were only _two_?" Romanoff asked. "We had four."

Rogers' smile was also amused. He had no problem being teased by here. He was used to it.

"Mine was _bigger_ than yours."

Before she could say anything, T'Challa walked into the room as well, with Okoye behind him.

"You heard what happened at the villa?" the young king asked.

"We did," came the reply. Natasha had been sorely tempted to have Stephen portal her out to the villa – just because it was Peter involved. Strange had talked her out of it only by reminding her that the villa was surrounded by the forcefield that kept the wild animals out and could be configured easily to keep people out, as well. Not to mention it was out in the open and no one was going to sneak up on them. "Have you found Azoru? Or spoken with the Jabari?"

"Word was sent to them," T'Challa answered. "But – since we don't know if the Gorilla City has the same problem as the palace, we obviously didn't want to say the wrong thing to anyone."

"What's the plan?" Wong asked. "Do we go there and cast the spell? Do this all over in that location, as well?"

"Tony suggested that we allow Peter near one of the surviving skrull and see if he can get an idea of what we are dealing with."

"Tony suggested that?" Natasha asked, somewhat surprised.

"He'd be the obvious choice," Strange pointed out. "With his connection to the Mind stone – and Alec… who better?"

"Wanda?" Steve suggested. "She is better at using her abilities with the Mind stone – and she's more powerful, in case something happened."

"Not to mention, _she_ didn't just have major surgery," Natasha agreed.

"An Appendectomy isn't _major_ surgery," Strange told her, never ceasing to be amazed by just how careful the Avengers were when it came to Peter's safety.

"Peter's here. Now. It would save time," Wong added.

"It is not for me to decide," T'Challa said. "But I am willing to try the plan – no matter who you choose to implement it. The sooner, the better. I do not want unrest in Wakanda, and I need to be able to address what has happened with my people – but not until it is over."

"Then we need to talk to Tony," Steve said, looking at Strange. "Face to face would be better."

Stephen rolled his eyes. He was a sorcerer supreme, not a walking travel planner. He nodded, though, and didn't complain.

Not yet, anyway. Time enough for that when all was said and done.


	47. Chapter 47

With a dead alien wrapped up and baking in the shade of the land sled for lack of anywhere else to put him, the guides were – understandably – on edge. So were the three Wakandans who had made and served them their meal – and might end up doing the same with dinner, if they were there for any extended time. Because of that, Shuri spoke with all of them to warn them about the tech that was about to be employed to bring still more people to the villa.

The last thing they wanted was a panic when the portal opened, after all. Or for the guides to go after one of the incoming visitors.

They were still looking a little suspicious, however, when the portal opened an hour after the discussion with Shuri. It helped, though, that T'Challa was the first one to emerge, with Okoye and a couple of other guards, followed by Natasha, Steve, Carol and then Stephen.

"The others are waiting back in the capitol," Steve advised them all once the portal closed. "Guarding the prisoners and making sure that if more enter the city and are exposed, they are in a position to catch them."

"How many prisoners?" Tony asked.

"Six. The rest resisted, or weren't given the chance to surrender."

Peter looked at Natasha, who shrugged, but she didn't say anything.

"The Wakandans are fierce fighters, " Carol said, approvingly. "Even their kitchen staff managed to take down a couple.

T'Challa looked pleased by the compliment – he was proud of his people, after all – but he didn't comment on it. Instead, he double-checked with Shuri that she hadn't been injured, and then they went inside the villa, and gathered around the table; some of them sitting, but the rest fine with standing.

Stark gave them all the briefing on what had happened – as he already had with T'Challa – and they all were curious to see the gauntlet that Shuri had killed with skrull with.

"To bad he's dead," Stephen said. "He almost certainly knew the plan- whatever it is – and we could have probably gotten it from his mind."

"Gotta say," Tony said, shaking his head. "I'm glad she put him down, quick. This weapon of his is a monster. I wouldn't want to worry about him somehow waking up and getting his hands on it, again."

They listened while the others told them about what had happened in the palace and in the capitol, and how their prisoners were being contained in a couple of small rooms that were reinforced with the same kind of force field that protected the area around the capitol – as well as the villa.

"Do we use Peter to get into the minds of the captured skrull?" Carol asked, glancing at the boy and smiling once Steve had finished bringing them up to speed. "Or call Wanda?"

Tony looked at Peter.

"Can Alec read the minds of _aliens_?" he asked. "Beyond just knowing that they aren't the person they're pretending to be? Or do we call Wanda in?"

Peter only hesitated a minute, to listen to the answer.

"He can do it."

"And are _you_ up to it?" Tony asked. "Straight up. I do _not_ want you falling on your face when all is said and done."

"I'm not going to be doing anything, really," Peter pointed out. "I'm just the middle man."

"What are you guys talking about?" Ned asked, curiously.

"We'll explain it later, Ned," Natasha promised, also giving the same promise to Shuri – who looked just as baffled.

Tony looked at Pepper, who shrugged.

"As long as you're right there with him," she said. "Preferably with both of you in your suits – and I want you to have your repulser charged and pointed at whichever one is closest."

It was clear that Pepper wasn't enamored of the idea, but was willing to go along with it – as long as her stipulations were met.

"No problem."

Tony had planned to do all of that, anyway.

"What do we do with the prisoners when we are done?" Shuri asked.

They looked at Carol. _She_ was the skrull expert, after all.

"We'll take them back to the compound," she replied, looking at T'Challa and Tony. "If that's alright with you. Using tech similar to the one in the palace, we'll hold them until I can have someone come get them."

"The memory thing won't work with them?" Steve asked.

"We'll see. It probably depends on what their endgame is."

"We don't want to leave them here, if we can avoid it," Tony said.

He didn't really like the idea of having them in the compound, but they'd make sure they were secured. Even if it meant drugging them to the gills (no pun intended with them being lizard-like).

"When do we try?" Strange asked, asking Tony, but looking at Peter.

The boy looked at Tony, too, and Stark looked at T'Challa.

"Your call."

It was _his_ country, after all.

"The sooner the better," the young king told them. "We are waiting to hear from M'Baku and the Jabari as to where Azoru was last seen."

"The idea being that if one has simmed him, then there may be others in the same area?"

"Yes."

"_I'm ready when you are,"_ Alec told Peter. _"Sitting around and talking about it isn't going to get the answers your people need."_

"I'm ready to give it a try," Peter said, speaking up.

"I do not want to stay here if everyone else is leaving," Shuri told her brother.

"I will not allow you to stay," he assured her. "We can use you at home, working with the technology that will keep these aliens secure – even back at the Avenger compound."

"We'd appreciate the help," Steve said, smiling at her – which made her blush, as it usually did.

Ned had a crush on Natasha, but Shuri was hooked on Steve.

"Let's go," Tony said, standing up. He wasn't completely sold on the idea of using Peter, but he tried to hide it, because he knew Pepper wasn't pleased at the idea, either, and he didn't want to add to her disquiet. "I want to be home by dinner."

Peter stood, as well, and the others followed suit.

Stephen rolled his eyes as they all looked at him, but he managed to bite back any sarcastic comment as he moved to the side and started the spell that would form the portal.

OOOOOOO

There were three rooms in use as prisons. Two skrull were in each, and they were separated in that room by a forcefield just to make sure they couldn't touch each other – although none of them were really sure it was something to worry about. It just made sense.

To make things simple, the entire group didn't go to the small holding room. It was Peter (by necessity) Tony – because Pepper insisted, and so had Tony – and Stephen and Natasha, because the aliens had already figured out that Natasha was dangerous, and they were terrified of her, and Stephen was magical back up – just in case they tried something that the suits and Natasha couldn't counter.

True to his promise to Pepper, Tony activated his Ironman suit as they opened the door to the first room. It didn't put him and Peter in direct contact with the skrull in the room; but Peter didn't need to be able to touch it. Supposedly, Alec could find out everything that they wanted to know.

"_I already have,"_ the presence in Peter's mind said, before the boy had even activated his incredible new Spider suit. "_Let me borrow your abilities for a minute, will you? I'll make sure they won't pose any threat to your people."_

"_You're not going to kill them, are you?"_

There was a bit of amusement in his mind, as Peter was reminded by Alec how he and Tony were usually at odds when it came to fishing. Apparently, it felt similar to the alien.

"_No. I'm not even going to hurt them."_

"Alright."

Alec didn't actually make Peter's limbs move; that was _Peter_, because it was Peter who actually cast the spell. The boy raised his hand, looked directly at the first skrull – who had been getting ready to tell him to piss off, because he wasn't going to tell him anything – and then uttered a simple word as an odd gray light seemed to form in the palm of his hand.

Before Tony could ask what he was doing, Peter threw that light at the skrull, who jerked backward and then sank to the ground without a word. A moment later, the light went through the forcefield like it wasn't there and took down the other skrull – and then went through the walls and put the rest of the prisoners on the ground.

With an odd look at Peter, Natasha stepped forward, kneeling to feel for a pulse at the first one.

"Natasha?" Tony asked.

"He's alive. Seems to just be out."

Tony looked at Peter.

"What did you do?"

"Just knocked them out," he said, getting the information from Alec. "We don't need them awake, now, and they're much less likely to get into trouble if they're sleeping."

"How long will they sleep?" Strange asked, curiously.

"Until I wake them up," Peter told him. "We need to talk to T'Challa, though. These guys aren't here because of the infinity stones."

Tony didn't even hesitate.

"Let's go."


	48. Chapter 48

They met in a small conference room.

The SHIELD representatives weren't there, and Ned had no reason to be allowed, so he was excluded, as well. He didn't mind, though. Shuri turned him loose in her lab, to allow him 'to look around' as long as he didn't try to hack anything, and that was fine with him. Everyone else from New York, as well as T'Challa, Shuri and Okoye were present, though, and feeling just a little self-conscious, Peter took charge of the meeting from the start.

"There were fifteen of them," Peter said, standing even though his side was aching a bit, because that's what the person giving a briefing does. He'd been to enough Avengers ones to know that. "They have no clue anyone else was coming to earth, and they didn't know anything about the rumors of an infinity stone being on the planet."

"Why are they here, then?" T'Challa asked, curiously, not even trying to guess how Peter knew this. The boy was far too sure of himself, and the others were taking him seriously, so the Wakandans would, as well. Despite his youth. "Vibranium?"

"No. They're an exploratory party," Peter replied. "They have a large population of people, and they're looking for a place to live."

Tony frowned.

"Why do I get the feeling you don't mean side by side as buddies?"

"Because I don't. They chose Wakanda for a reason. The vibranium – and the tech that goes along with it – is all well and good and a bonus, but Wakanda is isolated, and if they tried to take over any other country on the planet, it would eventually come out. If they take Wakanda, no one would probably even notice – even us, maybe."

T'Challa frowned.

"How would they take over an entire country? What was their plan?"

"The first step was to divide the tribes." Peter looked over at Shuri. "There's a reason they chose to have one of them look like Azoru when they made the attempt on you. He already has a reputation for doing unexpectedly rash things – like what he did to me – and he's a Jabari nobleman. Everyone else was supposed to return to the capitol with her dead body and the news that the Jabari assassinated her."

"Which would have, in turn, had my people in arms and demanding Azoru's life in retribution."

"They were counting on you demanding a lot more lives than that," Peter told him. "By then Azoru would be back in place, with absolutely no memory of any such attempt on Shuri – much less actually having killed her. He would deny it – could even pass a lie detector test if you guys have such a thing – and his folks and M'Baku would refuse the retribution."

"Which would start a war?" Steve asked, looking at T'Challa.

"Almost certainly. Even if I, myself, did not pursue it further – which I would have – then my people would have. Shuri is much respected and loved by all the tribes. They would have turned on the Jabari – and perhaps even myself, if I refused to go along with it."

"So Ned was right," Pepper said, shaking her head. "It was political."

Peter nodded.

"Once the tribes and the country are in shattered pieces from infighting, the plan could have gone a couple of ways. A wholesale slaughter of your people, village by village – blaming it on the Jabari, of course – until there is only the capitol remaining, which would eventually be infiltrated by shapeshifters until everyone there was dead, too."

"Or…?"

"Or someone kills T'Challa and takes his place, and then declares war on the Jabari, drives them back into their stronghold and burns it down around them – using forcefield technology to keep anyone from surviving. Then, with a fake T'Challa in place, they just bring their people in under the cover of refugees from other places."

"Wow. That's brutal," Natasha said, shaking her head.

Peter nodded.

"They preferred the first plan, because then they don't have to worry about maintaining shapes. But they were definitely willing to wipe everyone out."

"Where's Azoru, then?" Wong asked, frowning. "Obviously they didn't capture him and are holding him somewhere, or he'd alert everyone, but they have to keep him alive, to make him the scape goat."

Peter blushed, slightly.

"He's being… uh… seduced."

"Excuse me?" T'Challa asked.

"They have one of them shifted into the form of a woman from one of the outer Jabari tribes and she has him off in isolation. Keeping him occupied."

Peter's face was flaming red, now, and it didn't help that Alec was laughing at his discomfort.

The others weren't amused, but Carols was doing the math.

"You said there are fifteen of them," she said to Peter. "We account for twelve – killed or captured. One that her highness here killed when it went for her, and another out with this Jabari noble. Where's the fifteenth?"

"He died. The day after they arrived and started taking forms of the people they were emulating. He took the form of a kitchen worker and was eating something to fit in that he turned out to be allergic to. He lasted a few days, but he didn't make it. They were all freaked out, and almost ended the plan, then."

"There's your out, then," Strange said, looking at T'Challa.

"What do you mean?"

"Presumably they let whoever is keeping track of their progress know about the death of their fellow. If we get Wanda to tamper with the memories of our survivors, we can make it appear that the dead ones also died of some kind of allergy – or airborne illness – and warn them away from the planet, entirely."

"We could just kill the survivors," Okoye said. "That would warn them away."

"Probably not," Carol disagreed. "If they're thinking this country is a good place for their people, they wouldn't let a few renegades stop them. It would have to be something they couldn't control. A very painful illness that any of them could catch would definitely do it."

"We need to rescue Azoru," Shuri added. "And take care of that one, as well."

None of them pointed out that the Jabari probably didn't think he needed rescuing, and might not appreciate the favor, but she was correct.

"Where is he?" T'Challa asked Peter.

The boy looked at the Wakandan map that had been put up on the wall display and pointed to a very remote village.

"There."

"It will take days to get to him by land sled," Shuri noted. "And arriving in a jet would give away that we know something is wrong and might get him killed."

"We can get him," Stephen assured her.

Tony looked at T'Challa.

"It's your country," he said. "Your decision. Do you want me to call for Wanda? Or would you rather deal with the survivors yourself?"

Which told T'Challa that the Avengers or their SHIELD people wouldn't be party to slaughtering captives, but that it wasn't something that they would stop them from doing, either. Of course, Tony knew the young king, fairly well, by then, and was almost positive how he would respond.

"No. If we can keep them from returning by spreading the concern of an airborn illness, that would be for the best. Please, if Wanda is willing, ask her of she will come and implant that memory in their minds."

Tony nodded.

"I'll let you know when we have an ETA."

Peter sat down, then, simply because he had to.

"Are you alright?" Natasha asked.

She was closest to him, just then. He nodded.

"Just a little sore."

"We will get your former rooms prepared," T'Challa said, gesturing to Okoye, who nodded and left. "Then you can get some rest. I owe you, yet again, Peter," he added. "This could have been a disaster for my country and my people."

"Don't worry about it," Peter told him. He already had more wood carvings and wool blankets to find homes for. He didn't need more. "You're my friends. That's what friends do."

"How are you going to get Azoru?" Shuri asked Strange, curiously. "With one of your portals?"

"Yes." He stood up, looking at Peter. "I need to borrow you for a moment."

Tony stood at the same time Peter did, frowning, because he naturally assumed Strange wanted Peter to go with him. The three of them went out into the hallway just outside of the room.

"I thought you can't portal somewhere you've never been?" Tony said.

"I can't." he confirmed. He looked at Peter. "I can use the teleportation stone, though, if you summoned it…"

Peter nodded, and a moment later he was holding the rock.

Where? It asked, cheerfully, making Peter smile, even as he handed it over.

"_You really have the magic figured out, don't you?"_ Alec asked. "_They have no idea how rare that is – and it's probably just as well."_

"_Am I a danger to anyone?"_ Peter asked, concerned.

"_Only yourself, really. But between Stephen, Wong and Tony – with a little help from me – you'll be fine."_

"So, it can take you to him?" Tony asked, unaware of the conversation going on inside Peter's head.

"It should take me to the village where Azoru is."

Peter nodded.

"That's what I'd ask it to do. If you say take me to Azoru, you might end up right there with him – which will obviously cause a panic."

"How do you keep them from seeing you and causing a panic, anyway?" Tony asked.

"I go invisible."

"You can do that?"

Stephen smiled, always pleased when he had a chance to show Tony how impressive magic could be.

"For a short time, yes. What does this kid look like?"

Peter fished out his phone and showed Strange a few pictures of him, Shuri and Azoru.

"That should be good enough," Stephen said, confidently.

"Talk to Natasha, though," Tony suggested. She was the expert, after all. "Let's get you off your feet," Tony added, looking at Peter.

He would have denied the need, but he was definitely ready take a break.

"Yeah."


	49. Chapter 49

They walked back into the meeting, but it was breaking up.

"We'll keep our people in their positions, if you want," Steve said to T'Challa. "They can provide back up to your folks until your entire city is secure."

"I appreciate that."

True, as far as they knew the city was free of aliens, now, but it never hurt to be sure that the population wasn't compromised, still, and with the SHIELD and Avenger personnel spread into key positions, they would make sure things remain stable.

Natasha and Wong both walked over to meet Stephen, Tony and Peter.

"What's the plan for Azoru?"

"Stephen's going to take the teleport stone to the village with Azoru and take care of that one," Tony said.

She frowned, looking at the sorcerer.

"_Or_, you go and learn where he is, then come back and open a portal so we can send a small team to make sure there isn't any chance of that one catching you off guard and using one of those death rays on you before you get a chance to raise your hands and wizard him…"

Strange rolled his eyes and her phrasing – which he knew she did on purpose to mess with him, and he shrugged, well aware that this was one of those battles that he didn't want to argue with her about. She would prefer caution, and he could understand that. He even agreed, really.

"That will work."

Pepper had joined them, as well, and she slid an arm around Peter's waist.

"You look ready to drop, sweetheart."

He didn't deny it.

"Yeah. I'm ready to sit down for a while."

"We _could_ just take him home," Tony said, looking at her. He didn't like how tired Peter seemed to be – and his face had that look he got when he was aching and didn't want to admit it. "What do you think?"

"Better to have him _here_," Wong pointed out before Pepper could reply. "If the remaining alien has a different plan in mind than that of the others, Peter is the one that could tell us and keep anything unexpected and nasty from coming up."

Pepper clearly didn't like the thought of keeping Peter upright, but the boy nodded.

"Yeah. I can do that." He turned to Pepper, too. "I'll rest, now, though," he added. "That way I'm feeling better when Wanda comes – in case there's anything that she needs me to help her with."

"Since when did he become the one who has to do all of this?" Pepper asked, frowning at Tony, like it was all his fault Peter felt responsible for making sure things were done.

"Probably since I have the ancient alien sorcerer stuck in my head," Peter told her, cushioning the comment with a hug. "It's okay, momma," he murmured in her ear. "I can rest just as well here as I can back home. _Better_, really, since Ned has Shuri's lab to distract him here, and he'd keep me from even closing my eyes back home if it was just me and him."

Which was a good point. Tony smiled, though, because Peter had called her momma, which was almost _certainly_ the best way to get her to agree with something he wanted to do. Peter wasn't a sneaky kid, but he was learning – and wasn't afraid to apply that knowledge when he thought it was necessary.

Predictably, she nodded – she'd probably recognized the validity of the argument about getting more rest here in Wakanda, as well.

"Alright. But _only_ as long as you're needed here. Then it's back to your bed at home until Stephen clears you."

"Or when school starts," Peter told her, cheerfully, brushing a kiss against her cheek, which made her expression soften, even further.

They saw Okoye return just then, and everyone gathered at the table to discuss capturing the last of the skrull.

"Your suite is ready," T'Challa said, looking at Tony. "We will have someone collect Ned and bring him there, as well, and make sure the rest of your people are fed and allowed a chance to take a break, if needed. Anything else?"

"Not until we get that last skrull here. Then we'll portal Wanda and Vision here," he looked at Stephen, who rolled his eyes with a look of long-suffering that made more of them than just Tony smile. "We'll screw with their memories, and get the last of them off the planet. Yeah?"

Everyone nodded their agreement.

"While we're waiting," Carol said, looking at T'Challa. "I'd like a chance to look around your beautiful city – preferably without chasing aliens while I'm doing it."

The young king smiled.

"That can be arranged." He looked at Steve, who nodded.

He was going to go, too.

"I'm going to be in the suite," Tony told T'Challa. "If you let someone inform us when Stephen is back, I'll call Vision and Wanda and see what their time frame is for getting them here."

"I will."

The meeting broke up, and Shuri intercepted Peter.

"You look tired. I will keep Ned occupied while you get some rest."

"Don't put it like that, though," Peter requested, with a smile.

She echoed his smile.

"Of course not."

OOOOOO

They didn't need anyone to show them where the suite was; all of them knew the palace fairly well, from their visit after Tony and Pepper's wedding.

As was their normal habit, Tony and Pepper flanked their son as they walked through the corridors, with Tony's hand resting lightly on Peter's shoulder. Their pace was limited to his, and he wasn't hurrying, because he had that hitch with each step, but it didn't hurt like he knew it would if he'd torn stitches or if he'd injured something inside.

He was just sore and tired.

"You _could_ go lay down for a while," Tony told him as they entered the suite, finally, and Peter just headed to the sofa in the middle of the room.

"Will I bother you if I just sit here for a while?" He asked, knowing that they would stay in the rooms as long as he was there.

They didn't like leaving him alone when he wasn't feeling good – unless he shooed them away. Being in a foreign country – even a friendly one – with alien shapeshifters running around (even with them caught or killed) he knew there was no way Tony was going to leave him alone, sleeping and helpless.

"Wherever you want," Pepper told him, sincerely. "You're good company."

"But if you fall asleep and you start snoring, I'm going to toss you out a window," Tony added, smiling as he noticed that someone had thoughtfully set up a coffee bar with some pastries and rolls.

Pepper sat down on the sofa and patted the spot beside her, winking.

"Come sit by me, honey," she told Peter. "I'll protect you."

Peter chuckled and took a cinnamon roll from the coffee bar, first, smirking at the look Tony gave him at the thought of him eating cinnamon. Then he sat down next to her, propping his feet up on the coffee table in front of them.

Tony brought Pepper a cup of coffee, and a roll, before he sat down on the other side of Peter with his own cup – but no roll.

Not surprisingly, really, Peter was asleep before he finished the pastry.

"That didn't take long," Pepper said, softly, rescuing the remains of his cinnamon roll before it fell into Peter's lap.

Tony smiled fondly at their son, who was leaning enough toward her that it was a simple matter to gently nudge him into her shoulder, and watched as Pepper put her arm around him.

"It never does once we get him to relax. Do you want more coffee?"

She nodded, handing him her cup, one-handed.

"Please."

They weren't going anywhere for a while, after all.


	50. Chapter 50

_A/N: Fixed the end of chapter 48. Good catch Astrangefan!_

OOOOOOO

A gentle hand on his shoulder woke him, but Peter wasn't sleeping so deeply that he was startled. He opened his eyes and found Tony and Pepper both looking at him, expressions telling him, immediately, that there wasn't an emergency or anything.

"How do you feel?" Tony asked.

Peter stretched.

"Pretty good."

"Sore?"

"A little."

"_Tired_?" Pepper asked.

"A little of that, too. I'm okay, though. Really."

"Natasha just told me that they brought the last skrull back."

"Alive?"

It was _Natasha_, after all, so it was a fair question. Tony recognized that, too, and his eyes were amused.

"Yes. They were wondering if you were up to having Alec pop into her head and see if there's anything new we need to know about. We can wait until I call Wanda if you'd rather sleep."

"_Her_?" Peter echoed. "It's a girl?"

He felt Alec's amusement – it was similar to the way the cloak would laugh at something that he said or did, or the antics of those around him.

"_How else would they make more skrull?"_ he pointed out.

Tony shrugged.

"That's what they're telling me."

Peter was curious enough to see a woman lizard alien that even if he'd been agonizingly sore, he still would have wanted to get up. As it was, he hadn't been prevaricating about how he felt. The sleep had done him good. He eased off the couch – just to keep from jarring that one aching place inside him – and stopped just long enough to walk over to the table and pick up another roll – this time one with fruit in it, to keep the vein in Tony's forehead from pulsing.

"_Awww."_

"_Hush."_

OOOOOO

Natasha looked over when Peter and his parents walked into the little room. She smiled a greeting – also a way to tell him without words that everything went fine – and then looked back at the display they were all watching.

The group was a little larger, now, with the addition of a very disgruntled Azoru, who was dressed in his normal Jabari garb, but of finer quality, even Peter could tell. The young man greeted Peter when he saw him, but it wasn't his usual formal greeting.

"Peter. You would not believe what has been happening, here."

Peter nodded, checking his friend out, making sure he wasn't hurt – and he wasn't. He looked annoyed, more than anything.

"_With good reason,"_ Alec said, amused, but luckily not sharing what he knew.

Azoru's love life was none of Peter's business, and he wanted to keep it that way.

"It was happening back home, too. Are you alright?"

"Yes. I am fine."

"It was a good idea to bring some of Okoye's people with us, though," Natasha said. "I think we would have caused a bit more of a commotion than we already did if there hadn't been at least one Wakandan to prove we weren't there to kidnap one of their tribespeople."

"It was disconcerting," Azoru admitted. He looked at Peter. "I was on a walk with J'aa, and suddenly the hand I was holding was not hers – it was green and reptilian! I did not know what was happening, of course, but she was not the woman I had been walking with, before, and then she was unconscious, and the place was swarming with people. Your doctor friend made a motion, caught the air on fire and we all came here."

Natasha took up the narrative, then.

"We put her in the room with the others, do we need her awake to know what's going on in her head?"

Peter looked at the screen, and was amazed at the sight of the sleeping skrull. It was definitely more feminine than the others, softer, and curvier.

"_She doesn't need to be awake. But we need to be closer."_

"I just need to be in the room."

"That's convenient," Stephen said.

Peter just smiled, and waited for Natasha to lead him out of the little room – with Tony right behind them, just in case.

"How did he take it?" Stark asked, curiously, once they were out of the room and the door was closed behind them.

Romanoff smirked, amused, despite the seriousness of the situation.

"He wasn't happy, let me tell you. But I'm thinking it was better not to wait a little longer, because they were definitely not out looking at goats on their little walk. Any more delay and we would have caught them in a much more compromising position."

"_She's heartless,"_ Alec noted, chuckling in Peter's head.

"_No_." Peter knew better, of course. _"She just has a different view of the world."_

Alec gave a silent agreement to that; he of course, knew more about Natasha than all of them – probably even Natasha, since it was the nature of his people to be able to look into the minds of those around them.

Tony smiled, too.

"Good thing. His folks wouldn't approve of mixed children, I don't imagine."

"_The skrull are too different from your kind to be able to breed with them,"_ Alec said to Peter. _"There wouldn't be any viable offspring."_

"_You're a _doctor_, too?"_

"_That's just common sense. Your dogs can breed with wolves, or lions can breed with tigers, but you don't see elephants and giraffes out on the plains making girephants, do you?"_

"_Good point."_

The room was close, so they were at the door. There were two guards (one Wakandan, and one SHIELD) but there was also a series of force fields, and Tony activated his suit – all but the helmet – and looked at Peter, waiting for him to do the same.

Yes, they were all unconscious – supposedly – but he wasn't going to risk anything happening. Especially with Pepper watching them on the view screen.

The boy tapped the housing on his hip and felt that same rush of sensation as the nanotech in his dark spider suit formed around his body – all but the helmet. He could see just fine when it was engaged, too, but he preferred it off, and he knew Tony would use Friday in the Ironman suit to take any readings. He didn't need Karen to do so.

"Ready?" Natasha asked, impressed as always by the new suit.

Peter nodded, and she opened the door. The boy walked in, watching the faint blue of the forcefield change to accommodate his path toward the female.

"_Is it harder to know what's going on when they're asleep?"_ he asked Alec, curiously.

"_Under normal circumstances, I'd say yes,"_ was the answer. _"But not this time."_

This was said without any conceit, but Peter recognized that what the alien sorcerer meant was that he was powerful enough at the mind thing that the rules that might apply to others, didn't for him.

"I have what I need," Peter said, still looking at the skrull.

It was so weird. Like something (or some_one_, he supposed – she was a _person_, after all, despite not being human) out of the B movies that he and Ned were so fond of making fun of – even as they watched the same one for the fifth time.

"Let's go, then," Tony said, deactivating his helmet, again, and taking a last look at the skrull around them. "I'll call Wanda and Vision when we're done with the briefing."

Peter nodded and this time, he was the one who led the way out of the room.


	51. Chapter 51

_A/N: Everything is fine. Sorry about the missed day; it was the end of my work week and I'm still not used to being back, so I was a bit tired and decided that the story would be better if I wasn't falling asleep and forcing the chapter. So I went to bed, instead. I'm off for a couple of days, now, and the holiday gives me an extra chance to write, too._

OOOOOO

"The plan is the same as it was, before," Peter told the others when they were gathered back in the main room. "She was just a distraction – and had no idea what was happening here in the city, so Stephen and the others took her completely by surprised."

Azoru gave him a pained look – they'd taken *him* by surprise, too.

"So we can get Wanda, then?" Tony asked.

"The sooner the better, really."

He was ready to get done with the whole aliens thing – and he knew Tony was, too.

"Do we know where their transport is?" Carol asked.

"Hidden in a defunct vibranium mine and protected from discovery by the same kind of force field that we're using to hold them, basically. They've picked up a couple of interesting tech ideas from the technology they've seen while they're here."

That made Shuri and T'Challa both scowl

"Is there any way we can erase that?" T'Challa asked.

"We don't want them viewing Wakanda – or earth, for that matter – as a potential source of any kind of text that they might want in the future," Carol added.

Not that she knew – or was worried about – Wakanda, but it was on the earth, and they already knew what kind of mess the skrull (or any other alien) could make if they set their sights on the planet.

"We'll ask Wanda," Tony said, shrugging. He didn't know. "Vision said they were in the clear to be here whenever we needed them. T'Challa?"

Recognizing that Tony was basically asking for permission to bring yet more outsiders into his isolated country, the young king nodded.

"Bring them into my throne room, of we can," he asked, looking at Strange.

The sorcerer nodded.

"Whenever you're ready."

"The sooner the better," came the reply.

They didn't all go to the throne room. It wasn't needed, after all. Tony looked at Peter, hesitating, when everyone else got up to separate, and Peter understood, immediately, what the look was for.

"_He's still concerned about having the Mind stone so close to you_…" Alec said.

Which was what Peter had assumed.

"If I'm not needed," Peter said to Tony – and the others – "I think I'd rather go keep Ned company in Shuri's lab. Just in case he's getting into trouble."

"_Smooth."_

Tony looked at Pepper, just to make sure that she was alright with him going somewhere without the two of them. He wouldn't be alone, after all. Shuri and Azoru would both be with him, and he was awake and looked better for having had a nap, earlier.

She looked like she would just as leave he go home and be as far away as possible, but she nodded, not pressing the point.

"You'll keep in touch with Tony, though, right?"

"Yeah."

He had his watch; he was always in touch with him – and would be, just in case something happened. Either with him in the lab, or with the others.

He left with Shuri, and the others watched them leave.

"He looks better," Steve said.

"He does," Tony agreed. "I'll be glad to get this over with and get him home, though. It's been a weird week – and that's saying something, for our little family."

"Let's get this done, then," Strange told them, looking at Wong, who nodded his agreement.

OOOOO

Ned was in Shuri's lab, exactly where he was supposed to be. He was standing in front of her interface display and looked over when she walked in, bracketed by Peter and Azoru.

"What's going on?" Ned asked, automatically. And then he smiled when he saw the other boy. "Hey, Azoru. They brought you in for this thing, too?"

"They did not _bring me in,"_ Azoru said, nodding hello to Ned, but still fairly discombobulated, annoyed and a little embarrassed. "I was forced to accompany them."

"It was for your own good," Shuri told him, rolling her eyes at his sulky attitude. "You certainly cannot blame them for what happened."

"What's going on?" Ned asked, again – now looking at Peter, since he knew his best friend wouldn't keep him in the dark.

He was right, too.

Peter seated himself on the same table that he'd been treated on when he'd been in Wakanda after Tony and Pepper's wedding.

"You guys all _already_ know some of it." Shuri knew all of it, because she'd been back to the compound with T'Challa and Okoye. "I don't know if they want me to tell you, so don't bandy it about, but I'll tell you the rest…"

"_Not the part about the alien sorcerer in your head, okay? I don't think any of them really need to know about me, just yet – if ever – and I doubt you want to try to reassure them after they all freak out on you about it."_

He hadn't actually planned on telling them about Alec, but that was a good point. Ned might learn, eventually, but the others didn't even need to hear about him.

Instead, he acted like none of them knew anything – since they all had been brought in on things at different times – and told the story from the arrival of Carol Danvers. He did downplay that, though, a little, in deference to Azoru, who was listening with interest, but also a fair amount of skepticism. Not surprisingly.

OOOOO

Wanda and Vision were both waiting for the portal to open, and walked through immediately when it did.

After the flurry of greetings, and the offer of refreshments from their host, they were taken to the rooms with the surviving skrull, while Tony double-checked with his son that Peter wasn't having any kind of reaction to being so close to the Mind stone, once more. Over their communication, Peter assured him that he felt fine and that he'd activate his new suit immediately if he felt something was wrong.

Or Shuri would activate it for him, if for some reason he couldn't.

"What are you going to do with the dead ones?" Vision asked, curiously. "Burn them? Or bury them? You obviously can't allow them to be taken back with the others."

"Right. We definitely don't want them autopsied – or whatever they do to their dead," Natasha agreed. "A stab wound will not pass as an allergy."

"We will burn them," T'Challa said, decisively. "I do not want to risk someone coming back for them and digging them up."

"I can plant that information in their minds, as well," Wanda assured them.

"It makes sense that that is what they would do," Steve pointed out. "They wouldn't want to catch whatever their friends had."

"Even better, because they won't be able to sim anyone, again," Carol said. "Make them believe that whatever killed their fellows also destroyed their ability to shapeshift."

"That's _smart_," Tony said, approvingly.

She smirked, having already figured out that that was high praise for him.

Wanda nodded, and she fell silent, her eyes changing to red and the very air right around her doing the same. Everyone watched with interest, and in a very short time she relaxed, once more.

"They're properly primed," she told them. "Now we can send them on their way."

Strange was looking at the figures.

"_Peter's_ going to need to wake them," he reminded Tony. "It's not my spell."

"We'll get them to their ship in the mine, before we let him, though."

Then they could just vanish and keep an eye on them from a distance as the aliens woke – just to make sure it worked.


	52. Chapter 52

The group that went to take the still sleeping skrull to their ship was – by design – a small one. It _did_ include a couple of surprises, though.

Pepper hadn't wanted to go. Despite the fact that Peter was going with them, he was going to be with Tony and T'Challa, both – as well as _Stephen_ and _Wong_. The four men were (_probably_) enough to keep her son safe and out of trouble for a little while, she decided.

Ned _had_ wanted to go. Looking so excited that he was practically wriggling when they'd mentioned taking the skrull to their space ship, Peter's best friend had done something that he didn't normally do, and had turned his own hopeful brown eyes on Tony and Pepper, pleading silently to be allowed to accompany Peter so that he could see the space ship.

Tony had been amused to find that he didn't have a lot of resistance to Ned when he'd turned on the big, doleful, gaze – and _Pepper_ was even more defenseless. Of course, she tended to spend more time with Ned and knew him better. And probably they both saw the other boy as an extension of Peter, since he was their son's best friend.

So, Ned had been included.

Shuri had decided to come, but Azoru wasn't remotely interested. Tony had a feeling the young noble was still chafing at the fact that what he'd thought was love (or at least lust) had turned out to be nothing more than a ruse. Not to mention the part where someone had planned on assassinating Shuri and putting that blame entirely on his shoulders.

It was a lot to process and he was dealing with that, just then, and didn't want to see another skrull for as long as he lived.

Natasha went, of course. Not only because Stephen was, but because Peter was. Her guys were both there, so she needed to make sure she was there, as well. Okoye and several of T'Challa's guards rounded out the group and they piled the sleeping aliens on the gravity defying gurneys Shuri provided and waited.

Tony didn't like the next part, but Stephen handed the teleporting stone to the boy, who found himself a little privacy hiding in the bathroom in the suite, and had the teleportation stone take him to the abandoned mine that the ship was hidden in. Once Peter was there, Stephen was able to lock onto the boy's GPS and create a portal. Peter then popped back to the bathroom, rejoined the group and they headed out with their aliens in tow.

OOOOOO

"This thing is awesome," Ned said, in a low voice, running his hand along the arm of what was almost certainly the command chair of the alien spaceship less than fifteen minutes later.

The design was eerily familiar; so much like what the space shuttles looked like that they all were able to ascertain which sections were probably used for what purposes. Of course, it was a well thought out design, so why wouldn't other cultures use them? Even cultures from other planets.

Tony looked around, equally amazed at his first spaceship, but – predictably – trying to hide it.

"Seen one alien spaceship, seen them all," he told Ned, smiling at Shuri, who was also looking around with interest.

It was fairly roomy, all things considered.

Ned grinned, still looking at the display on the arm rest.

"Did you guys find any death ray tech when you vetted their systems for any Wakanda references?"

Tony frowned.

"What?"

"You know? Making sure they aren't sailing off with anything they might have learned from hanging out with Shuri for the last however long they've been here…"

Looking chagrined, Tony looked at Shuri, who looked _equally_ surprised. He shook his head, and glanced at T'Challa.

"We should probably hold off on waking them up, just yet."

"Yes," the young king agreed. "Do we need to bring in technicians?"

"Friday can handle it," Tony said, activating his suit.

"_I don't read skrull,"_ the AI reminded him, immediately. "I can probably figure out the translation, but it'll take some time."

Tony scowled, disengaged the helmet and looked at Stephen and Wong.

"Do either of you read skrull?"

Both men smirked.

"I can bring a book," Wong offered. "I was studying it, once we knew what we were dealing with. It won't take long."

Peter felt the amusement from Alec and was silently told that none of that would be necessary.

"I can do it," the boy said. "If you link Friday to Karen, I'll run the translations and she can take care of wiping anything that they shouldn't have."

Since Peter had already proven to Shuri and T'Challa that he was good with languages, neither of them looked askance at the idea of him translating. The others (aside from T'Challa's guards) knew that the Mind stone would assist Peter in translating different languages, but that was only when the other was actually speaking.

This was going to be all on Alec.

"_You guys are pretty lucky I was around for this,"_ the ancient alien sorcerer pointed out as Peter activated his suit and stepped forward, near the closest control panel, joined immediately by Tony and – vicariously – Friday.

The mask Peter had on concealed his smile, but Alec was in his head and felt his amusement.

"We'd have figured something out. It just would have taken longer."

"_Just let me have my moment."_

Peter chuckled, and waited for Friday to interface with Karen, and then he and Alec went through the systems on the skrull ship, using Karen's considerable assistance to get through them far quicker than either of them could have done it alone. Luckily, Alec was also able to bypass all problems with passwords and other protections on the system, since the skrull knew the correct responses and the voice in Peter's head would give him the answer needed to get through the safety and security protocols.

He was vaguely aware that Tony was having Friday store everything into a separate file for later study, even as all references to Wakanda tech – especially vibranium – were scoured from the alien ship's files in far less time than it might normally have taken.

"That's the last of it," Tony said, finally, retracting his helmet, while Peter did the same. "Good call, Ned."

The boy preened at the praise. True, he knew Tony well, by then, but it was still Tony Stark, and that meant a lot.

"They had a lot of information on Wakanda," Peter said, looking at Shuri, who looked annoyed at the thought of her own tech being taken out to space and maybe someday being used against her people. "But we cleared it."

"Did you find anything interesting of theirs?" she asked, well aware that Tony, at least, wouldn't be above stealing some alien files.

"We _did_," Stark replied. "But we'll talk about it later; after we've said goodbye to our spacefaring friends, here."

They cleared all indications of their presence on the little ship and left the skrull in the little beds in what was obviously crew quarters, then they all abandoned the ship, then the mine, and portalled back to the palace, leaving monitoring equipment, but making sure it wasn't noticeable.

Peter cast the spell that would wake the skrull, hiding in the bathroom to do it, and then joined the others as they all watched to see what would happen, next. Certain that it would have been noticed, they hadn't left any cameras – no matter how tiny – on the ship, itself, so they only could watch what was happening on the outside.

An hour after they left, the ship's engines powered up. A few minutes after that, it left the mine and launched into the sky, having no issue with the forcefield that normally protected Wakanda, because T'Challa ordered it dropped, entirely, just to make sure the skrull didn't find something interesting at the last moment to take back with them.

The satellites around the planet kept watchful scrutiny on the ship until it vanished – and Danvers confirmed that they were actually gone, having recognized the hexagonal portal the ship had made to leave through.

"Well that was an adventure," T'Challa said, looking at the others – both his own people, and the Avengers. "I do not know how to thank you for your assistance."

"You don't need to thank us," Tony reminded him, thinking that they didn't need any more spears or wood carvings or wool blankets in the compound. "We're your allies, remember? And your friends. That's what you do for both."

The young king smiled, and nodded.

"I could feed you before you go home," he suggested.

"We accept."


	53. Chapter 53

"You could just stay the night."

"Nah." Tony shook his head, looking over at Peter, who was seated between Ned and Shuri, talking to the two of them and Azoru, who had been invited to stay, as well, and had taken T'Challa up on the offer. He had gotten word to his uncle that he was in the capitol, but would be home soon. "We appreciate it, but if I don't get my Avengers home and to bed at a decent time, they'll all be grumpy, tomorrow. No one likes a grumpy Avenger."

Pepper smiled at that, looking around the table at the others. With the capitol and (presumably) the rest of the skrull gone, the SHIELD agents as well as the Avengers who had arrived in Wakanda to assist with the skrull invasion had all been cleared to join the meal, and they were interspersed among the Wakandans, enjoying the meal as well as the novelty of being in a country few outsiders were actually invited to be in.

Strange and Natasha were talking to Wong, Wanda and Vision, and even though Tony had purposely seated Peter on the other side of the room from the construct, the boy didn't seem to be suffering from the proximity of the Mind stone.

But Pepper would feel better once Vision and Peter were half a world apart, once more.

"During the next few weeks, I will make sure all of the nobles in my country have a reason to come here – just to make sure they are all subjected to the discovery tech."

"As far as the other skrull know, they're the only ones here – according to their files and systems," Tony told him. Of course, he'd also gained that information from Wanda and Alec – courtesy of Peter acting as go-between. "If you find any, though, make sure you let us know. We'll come help, if you need it, and warn other countries if we need to."

At the moment, they weren't looking any further than Wakanda as far as attempted invasion targets, but Strange and Wong were almost certainly already planning on making their Panzer spell more far-reaching. He didn't know what kind of effort it would involve to make it cover the entire planet, but he would have taken bets that Wong, at least, would end up in the 3rd floor library sometime in the next week, looking to figure it out.

"Do you need anything, Tony?" T'Challa asked.

An odd thing to ask a billionaire who had everything, or so it seemed, but the young man was well aware that he owed Tony and his people – and they were also friends. It wasn't easy for a king to have friends, because he couldn't show any favoritism to anyone. But Tony and his Avengers weren't Wakandan, and Tony was wealthy enough that he didn't need to worry about being corrupted. Which made Stark a good candidate for a friendship.

Not to mention his little sister liked Tony's adopted son.

"No. We're good, thanks."

Tony held a hand out to T'Challa, who shook it, and that seemed to be the cue for the small party to break up. The Wakandans started leaving the room, saying their goodbyes, and the Americans started getting to their feet.

"So… is there something going on between Carol Danvers and Steve?" Shuri asked, softly, glancing from Peter over to the other side of the room where Steve was seated beside Carol and talking to Vision and Wanda.

Peter looked over, as well, and shrugged.

"I don't know."

"They make a good couple," Ned said, not quite as quietly. "She's pretty and he's _Captain America_."

"She's probably not going to stick around, though," Peter pointed out.

Shuri watched the two interact, but had to shrug, and change the subject. Princess do not gossip about their friends' love lives (or lack thereof). Even if the princess also happens to be a teen-aged girl, and such things were second nature.

"You will call me and let me know how your first day of school goes?" Shuri asked, as Peter and Ned both pushed their chairs back, as well, now that people were starting to get up.

"Yeah."

"It's going to be _dull_," Ned assured her. "The teachers don't know your name, yet – if they're new, or not teaching a mixed grade class – and the kids who have never been there before are being assholes and trying to look cooler than they are."

Shuri looked at Peter, who nodded with a shrug.

"Pretty much. Or they'll hang back and wait to see where they fit in."

That's what Peter had done.

"Well, regardless, let me know how it goes, and what you think of your new subjects and instructors."

"If he even makes it to school the first day," Ned added. "If he's still sore from the appendix surgery, Dr. Strange might not let him go, right away."

"I'm going to go, though," Peter assured them both, as they walked over to stand by Tony and T'Challa.

"Go where?" Pepper asked.

"To school Monday," Peter said.

She frowned, looking at Tony – and then at Stephen, who was walking over, as well. Ned gave his friend a knowing grin, and Peter rolled his eyes. She was just over-protective. He'd just point out that he didn't want to fall behind like he had the last year.

It was too stressful.

"_That might be the best argument,"_ Alec told him. _"They don't want you stressing."_

"_I'm not."_

"_You're starting to,"_ the alien sorcerer told him.

Oh.

"We'll talk about it, later," Tony promised. "If Stephen doesn't think you're going to keel over in the middle of PE, it shouldn't be an issue."

"_He's pretty smooth_," Alec added, and Peter could feel that the entity in his head was very impressed with Tony – and liked him.

"_I do like him,"_ Alec agreed with Peter's silent thought. "_For a lot of reasons – which we won't go into, right now."_

Peter didn't argue. He waited his turn while Shuri said her goodbyes to the others – and shook T'Challa's hand when the king of Wakanda said goodbye to him. Then he found himself caught up in a hug, and Shuri kissed his cheek.

"Tell MJ I said hello and that I hope she can come, next time."

"For a different reason, though," Tony added, looking at Stephen, who was just waiting for the rest of them to gather around before making their portal back to the compound. "No more death rays and aliens hell-bent on world domination, if we can avoid it."

"Agreed," T'Challa said, smiling.

Shuri moved to stand by her brother and the Americans positioned themselves behind Strange, who waved his hand, creating the portal.

OOOOOOO

Because of the size of the group, they ended up out in the field as the safest place to land them all. Strange was the last through, and he looked over at Tony, who was standing beside Steve, counting heads as their people returned.

"Do you want me to make a portal for Wanda and Vision?"

The billionaire looked over at Peter, who was kneeling in the grass with Ned, playing with Jack, who had come running looking for Steve, but needed to be distracted for the moment, since he was busy.

"No. Peter doesn't seem to be taking any harm from him being here, and I'd like their thoughts on the skrull before they go. Are you heading back to the sanctum?"

"I am," Wong said, also watching Peter and Ned play with Jack. "I want to explore the Panzer spell further."

"And see if you can make it cover more acreage?" Tony asked.

"It wouldn't be a bad idea to at least check."

Ha! He loved being right.

"Anything I can do to help?"

Wong smirked – as Tony had known that he would. He wasn't a sorcerer, and the wizards all knew it. He was Ironman, not Dumbledore.

"I'll manage. Thanks."

The other magician nodded, and was gone, and Steve walked over to the boy and loved up his puppy.

"We'll debrief in twenty minutes," he told all of the SHIELD agents, as well as Natasha.

It was late evening in Wakanda and early morning there in New York, and despite his nap, he felt like he'd been up for days.

"Can I come to the briefing, Steve?" Ned asked, hopefully.

Not that he had anything to add, really, but he loved everything there was about the mission briefings and debriefings – and he'd been the one to remind them to strip the alien ship of any Wakandan references, and Steve knew it.

"Sure."

Tony and Pepper had walked over, as had Carol, who knelt down to coo at Jack.

"Lunch after the briefing," Tony told Ned. "Then we'll take you home."

"Okay."

"I don't need to remind you that your family and friends don't hear anything about shapeshifting aliens trying to assassinate African princesses?"

Ned grinned.

"No one would believe me, even if I tried telling this one."

"True."

"We should write a book someday, though," he said, wiping his hands as he got to his feet. "I'd probably make a killing and get on the bestseller list all at once."

"It'd be so redacted, no one would know you were trying to tell them," Tony said, smiling. He looked at Peter. "Are you going to debriefing?"

"No. I'm going to go find Nutmeg and call MJ."

Tony didn't bother to remind him the same thing he'd told Ned – Peter already knew.

"I'll have Friday call Karen when we eat."

"Yeah."


	54. Chapter 54

Peter spent the remainder of the morning in his quarters. With Nutmeg cuddled on his chest purring himself to sleep, he called MJ and chatted for quite a while. They talked about school starting, the new classes that they were going to be taking (they only had one together, which was a bit of a disappointment to Peter) and the academic decathlon team that she was going to be captain of, once more.

Then she asked him how he was feeling, and he was quick to assure her that, yes, he was getting plenty of rest and wasn't doing anything too crazy. (He turned the camera of the phone at an angle so she could see that he was lounging on the sofa and could see the sleeping kitten on his chest).

"Nutmeg won't let me get up until I've had all the rest he can handle," he told her, smiling. "So I'm fine. Really."

"_Ned's there,"_ she pointed out. "_How much rest can you be getting?"_

"He's hanging out with Steve and Natasha, right now."

Ned was always on the go, and they both knew it. It was like he had a million ideas running through his head all at once, and he could never focus enough to handle them all unless he was looking at something else that was new and interesting. Being Peter's friend, though, he had plenty of opportunity to do just that.

"_What have you guys been doing?"_

He didn't mention going to Wakanda. Or anything about alien shape-shifters, or long-dead alien sorcerers taking up residence inside his head – which made Alec snort, amused.

"We've been hanging out. Tony has some new tech that he's going to want to start looking through. I might hover in the area, just in case there's anything I can use."

And in case he needed a translation.

MJ was brilliant, but she wasn't that interested in technology. Her smarts were applied elsewhere, and they both knew it, so the conversation didn't linger on that aspect of things. He filled her in on everything that the others were up to and mentioned that Steve might have found himself a friend who was also female – mainly because he knew Ned would tell her the minute he saw her.

She asked a lot of questions that he didn't know all the answers to, and probably would have continued to do so, if not for Karen interrupting to tell him that Tony and the others were in the lounge and they were getting ready to eat lunch.

"I need to go," he told MJ – who had heard the message, as well. "I'll see you at school."

She nodded.

"_Try to stay out of trouble between then and now, alright? I'd like to see you there in one piece."_

"I'll do my best," he told her with a smile. "No promises, though. You know that."

She rolled her eyes, and smiled – she _did_ know.

"_Bye_."

She ended the call, and he pocketed his phone and made sure Nutmeg was carefully supported in his hand when he stood up. He felt only the slightest twinge of pain in his stomach at the motion, which he decided was an improvement, and headed for the lounge, kitten tucked against his side.

OOOOOO

"Did you rest?" Pepper asked as Peter joined them, settling Nutmeg on his cat tree and waiting to make sure the kitten wasn't going to launch himself, immediately, at the table – or the bowls of pasta sitting in the middle of it.

"Yeah. And I talked to MJ," he added, sitting down next to Ned, who was already loading his plate. "She said to tell you guys hello."

"Back at her," Tony said. "How do you feel?"

"I'm alright."

"Natasha's taking Ned home when we're done here," he told Peter. "She said to ask you if you felt up to going along for the ride."

Ned grinned; he was always happy when he spent time with Romanoff. The fact that he had had her all morning in the debriefing (well, her and _30 of her closest friends_, he added), and now she was the one taking him home just made him that much more cheerful. Yeah, she was way too old for him, and she was dating a super powerful sorcerer brain surgeon, but he could overlook all of that for another hour or so.

"Sure." They wouldn't be able to take her Corvette, though. "We can drive the Pontiac."

"Nope." Tony smiled. "Mom and I are going to take your car down and have it detailed while you're gone. Kind of a _happy school is starting_ present. If you're alright with letting _her_ drive it, that is?" he added, his eyes amused – especially when she rolled hers.

She'd driven Peter's car a few times. It was powerful and classy and she was farm girl enough to like that.

"Yeah. Of course."

"Good. Tomorrow, you and I will go get your haircut and take care of any last minute things you need before school starts."

"He needs a new _backpack_," Ned told them. "I'm stealing his."

Peter nodded, reaching out and catching Nutmeg who had woken from his nap and decided to launch himself toward the center of the table.

"Mine matches his new jacket better than the one his mom got him."

Pepper just rolled her eyes, again, and started dishing a plate. She wasn't going to ask.

OOOOOO

Natasha was waiting in the garage next to her Corvette when Peter and Ned walked in. She wasn't alone; Steve was lounging against Peter's car, talking with her, but they broke off the conversation when the boys approached. He waved at them but excused himself, telling Ned he'd see him later, and telling Natasha to drive safe.

They got into one of the sedans, and Natasha sighed, dramatically, as she got behind the wheel.

"A sensible sedan… how _unremarkable_…"

Peter smiled, understanding completely. She loved driving her little sports car and _he_ loved driving his shiny muscle car. The sedan they were in, now, was neither.

"It could be worse," Ned told her, smiling when Peter offered him the front seat beside Natasha.

"Yeah? How?"

"It could be a _minivan_…"

The assassin rolled her eyes, amused.

"Perish the thought!"

OOOOOO

Peter was quiet during the drive to Ned's. Not that he didn't have anything to say, and he felt fine, but Ned wasn't going to have a lot of reasons to come out to the compound once school started, so he wouldn't be seeing Natasha as much. With that in mind, he left the conversation up to Ned – same reason that he didn't argue with him over giving him the front seat, when he normally might have.

Once they dropped him off, though, Peter took the front seat, and Natasha smiled, looking over at him as she pulled back into traffic.

"I'm glad you came along," she told him, sincerely.

"Yeah?" He smiled, too. "Because I'm so cute I'll get you out of a speeding ticket if you get pulled over?"

"Depends on the _officer_, of course," she reminded him. She'd talked herself out of a few tickets in her day, after all. "But, yeah. _That_, too. We don't get to see too much of each other, really, and I miss it. If not for the whole _skrull_ thing and _appendix_ thing, I might have kidnapped you for a road trip somewhere before school starts. Just to touch bases with you and make sure you're alright."

"I am," he assured her.

"You _look_ like you are," she agreed. But then he saw her hands tighten, almost imperceptibly, on the steering wheel. "What about what I _can't_ see, though?" She asked. "Do I need to be worried?"

"About the appendix thing?"

"About the _dead alien in your head_ thing," she corrected.

"Oh." He hesitated, but he wasn't surprised that she would bring it up. Natasha didn't beat around the bush when it came to pretty much _anything_ – and especially Peter's safety. He knew it. Had _always_ known it. Tony was dad, and Pepper was mom, but Natasha was – and had been as long as she'd known him – Peter's first line of protection. "Yeah. No. You don't need to be worried. He's not hurting me."

"_She's not convinced,"_ Alec said, and while he was usually amused when he communicated with Peter, this time he was impressed more than anything. "_She's remarkable."_

"_Yeah, she is."_

"_Can_ he hurt you, though?" She asked, glancing over at him. "Stephen explained what was going on, and Tony has mentioned it, but no one seems to know exactly what his endgame is. Do _you_?"

"We haven't had a lot of chance to discuss it," Peter admitted. "I got sick, and then the skrull thing happened… He _says_ he's fixing something that's damaged in me."

"Did he tell you _what_?"

"No."

"_It's better that you aren't aware of it,"_ Alec told Peter, seriously, and the boy could feel the sincerity in the statement.

The alien wasn't trying to be _mysterious_; he honestly didn't want Peter to be worried or upset by whatever it was.

"Does he _plan_ on telling you?"

"I don't think so. He can't _make_ me _do_ anything, though," Peter added, trying to keep her from being worried. "He just is there – talking to me, and so far he's been helpful with the skrull thing."

She had to concede that point, but he could tell she still wasn't convinced

"I don't need to tell you that we're here for you, right?" Natasha told him. "If he starts making things tough on you, let someone know. Stephen and Tony are mostly convinced that he's benevolent. Wong and I aren't quite so sure – but Wong's research, so far – and several discussions with the cloak, are keeping us all from going crazy about this whole deal. We don't like the idea of anything messing with your head."

"He's not messing with me," Peter reassured her. "_And_ I got to meet Vision because of him. But if anything happens, I'll tell you."

"You do that." She smiled. "If nothing else, I'll stick a Hoover to your ear and we'll suck him out."

Peter laughed, both at the impossible threat and the snort of amusement from Alec.

"I'll keep that in mind."

She smiled, and nudged his arm, cheerfully, and then changed the subject. She'd made her thoughts clear – to Peter _and_ to the guy in his head.

The next move was his.


	55. Chapter 55

Stephen Strange woke with a start, looking around him, hands coming up and the magic building within him, automatically.

Then he lowered them, confused.

The area around him was pure white, almost blindingly white. Startling, but not scary, because he recognized the astral plane, immediately. But incredibly unsettling and confusing, because he hadn't been intending to walk the plane and he'd never heard of anyone actually going there without at least meditation to aid them.

"What the hell…?"

Strange turned his head toward the voice, and now he was even more confused, because through the brilliant white around him Tony Stark was suddenly walking toward him, looking around.

"Tony?"

"Stephen…" The billionaire looked as confused as Stephen felt. "What are you _doing_? Some kind of transportation spell research gone wrong?"

The sorcerer understood what he meant, immediately, and shook his head.

"I didn't do this. I _couldn't_ have done it."

"You've moved me – and _others_ plenty of times."

"We're on the astral plane, Tony."

Stark looked at him, blankly.

"You say that like it's supposed to _mean_ something. All I know for sure is that I think that was where you said Peter was while he was waiting for the toddler thing to get figured out."

"I can't move someone here…" Strange told him. "Your body isn't here, so there's nothing for me _to move._ Not to mention, I didn't bring myself here. I went to bed an hour ago."

"And yet, here we are." Stark frowned. "And for the record_,_ I went to bed, too. So what's my body doing righ-"

"Hey. _What's_ going on? Where are we?"

Both men turned and saw Natasha walking toward them, looking around her.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Strange asked.

"Where are we?" she countered.

"Wait," Tony said, before Stephen could reply. "We're in the astral plane?"

"Yes."

"We're in the astral plane?" Natasha echoed, looking around. "How is that possible? I thought you couldn't bring anyone here."

She knew, because she'd wanted him to take her to see Peter when he'd been here and had been told that wasn't possible.

"I _can't_," he confirmed. "I have no idea what's going on, but I assure you, I didn't have anything to do with it."

"_I did."_

They all heard the voice – but it wasn't spoken aloud. It was in their minds. Tony looked over at Stephen – since it was masculine – but he looked stunned, and when they glanced at Natasha, she was looking off to the right, her face pale and tense.

"Did you guys hear that?" Tony asked them.

"I heard something…" Romanoff answered, her fingers twitching. "But I _didn't_."

Stark was sure she was wishing for a weapon.

"_That was me."_

They all turned the direction Natasha was looking when another figure joined them, walking toward them.

"Holy shit…"

The person? was tall. A good head and shoulders taller that Stephen, who was the tallest of them. It – he? – was lean, and bipedal, but so different from them that they couldn't help but stare. Hair – or fur – the color of straw covered the thing's body, from the flat feet that only seemed to have 3 wide toes, up the spindly legs, the torso (no visible genitals to tell them male or female) and the arms and hands – which also had three digits on each.

The neck was covered with a lighter coating of much finer hair and the face – which was familiar with two eyes, an odd shaped nose, and a very small mouth – was also covered with the fine hairs, and topped with a shock of much longer, blonde hair, that was gathered into a topknot, flowing down the creature's back. The eyes that were watching the three humans were a rich chocolate color, but there was no iris.

Tony stepped forward, automatically placing himself between the newcomer and the other two, and it raised its hand and came to a stop.

"_No need for that, Tony."_

Stark hesitated. Not only did it call him by name, but it wasn't moving its mouth – and seemed to be putting the words into his head – and the others' heads, to judge by their reactions.

"You know me?"

"_Alec_?" Natasha asked, at the same time.

Tony turned to her.

"_That's Alec_?"

"_I am."_

"You brought us here?" Stephen asked.

"_With some assistance."_

"The Mind stone," Natasha hazarded.

"_Correct. Even I couldn't bring you three here on my own. But it was important that I speak with you – and this is the only way to enable that to happen, simultaneously."_

"About Peter?" Tony asked, not even question the how.

"_Yes."_

"What about him?" Natasha asked. "Is he in danger?"

_"No. Well, no more than anyone is."_

"That's cryptic," Tony grumbled, scowling. "What are you doing in his head? What needs to be fixed?"

_"He's an amazing young man,"_ Alec told them, moving now, to stand where they could all see him, and he could see them. _"But in so much danger from within."_

"From you?"

"_From his own abilities."_ The alien held up a hand, again, forestalling any more questions. _"I don't have a lot of time and I can't tell you everything, but you three are the ones who need to know what is happening with him. You are the ones who can influence the others, and if you're assured of my intentions regarding him, then he won't worry himself inside out about you worrying about him."_

Nothing new for Peter, and they all knew that. Clearly Alec had Peter figured out, too.

"What do we need to know?" Strange asked.

"No. What's wrong with him?" Tony corrected.

"_When he was bitten – when he gained the abilities that he has – he developed a sensitivity to the world around him. You know this. His eyesight is keener, his hearing profound, and he feels everything far p more intently than is normal. From coming dangers, to the magic that is used around him. In some cases, it's enough to overwhelm him – if the power is great enough."_

"Like the Mind and Time stones…" Stephen said.

"_Correct. That's amazing, but also – obviously – deadly."_

"You can keep that from hurting him, though… right?" Tony asked. "I mean, he's met _Vision_, now, and the Mind stone is right there."

"_With my help he can handle the power stones being so close, yes. The more that are near him, the harder it would be to buffer, obviously, but I'm working on it. I've also started healing the damage done to his psyche from the abrupt changes that were created within him, so suddenly – and at such a young age. Things that aren't an issue, yet, aside from an underlying ache that he isn't even aware of, really, but would become a serious problem in the future."_

"That's why you're here, then?" Tony asked. "To heal the damage done when he was bitten?"

"_One of the reasons,"_ Alec replied. _"Another is more serious."_

"More serious than the stones and healing his head?"

"_There's a threat coming,"_ Alec told him – and the other two. "_A danger to your world, and every world out there…"_

"What does that have to do with Peter?"

"_Everything. A madman is trying to gather the stones."_

"The collector?"

"_The collector wishes to posses them. To add them to his assemblage. Thanos wants to _use_ them."_

"Why?" Strange asked, feeling an atavistic dread go through him, for no reason. But certain that the answer couldn't be good. "What would anyone need so much collective power for?"

_"That's a good question – and one we don't have an answer for. Yet."_

"The Mind stone won't tell you?"

"_It doesn't know – or it isn't interested in telling us."_

"What?"

"_The stones aren't sentient, guys. Their awareness varies from stone to stone, and for the most part is limited to emotions, at best. The Mind stone, obviously, is the best at communicating with the world around it – but even it rarely _bothers_ to do so."_

"It talks to _Peter_," Natasha said.

"_Yes. Which might be crucial. It doesn't communicate with anyone like it does to him. With me in his head, listening in on what's passing between them – even things that Peter might not be aware of – we might be able to find out what Thanos is up to."_

"So, you're using your bond with Peter to eavesdrop on this Thanos guy?" Tony clarified.

"_While taking care of him, at the same time,"_ Alec confirmed.

"Are you hurting him at all?" Natasha asked. "This bond, I mean?"

"_No. It's not a symbiotic relationship, at all. I'm helping him, but not taking anything from him – aside from hopefully being where I need to be to find out what's coming. He needs to know I'm with him, though, and in order to keep you from worrying about him, you needed to know what I'm here for."_

"So what's next?" Tony asked.

"_I continue to heal him, while he starts school and you all keep doing what you're doing. He's remarkably well-adjusted. You make him that way – keep it up."_

"And when you find out what you need to?"

"_We'll have another conversation, then."_

"Can we help?" Strange asked.

The furry shoulders shrugged, once more drawing their attention to the fact that he was very much not human.

"_You know how to research. I've already pointed you to a name."_

"Thanos."

"_Yes."_

"Does Peter need anything?" Tony asked. "Anything he's not telling us? Or doesn't even know he needs?"

Alec's small mouth pursed, and they realized it was a slight smile – as much as his face would allow.

_"He needs more school clothes."_

Pepper shifted in her sleep as Tony muttered beside her. Automatically, she assumed he was having a dream – good, bad, it didn't matter. She reached for him, her arms going around him.

"You okay?" she whispered, sleepily.

"Yeah..." he was tense, though, all of the sudden. "I had a dream… but not a _dream_."

"Need to talk it out?"

"In the morning," he told her, tucking himself against her. "Go back to sleep, Pep. Morning is soon enough."

She made a soft noise, but didn't argue with him. Instead, she went back to sleep.


	56. Chapter 56

Peter was a little surprised when he woke the next morning and found that he wasn't alone in his bed.

When he opened his eyes and realized it was Natasha cuddled up against him, with her arms wrapped protectively around him, he glanced around the room without moving any more than necessary, and saw his fridge. Which meant that he was in his bedroom and as far as he knew, _hadn't_ done any sleepwalking.

Or he'd had a bad dream or something, had gone to her and she'd brought him back to his bed, but had stayed with him? That had happened, before, he knew. He must have woken her with his slight motions, because she stirred next to him and opened her eyes.

"Morning, baby."

"Hi, Natasha…" he said, sleepily. "Did I sleepwalk?"

She smiled.

"No. I came in to check on you last night, and you looked so comfortable I thought I'd join you. You don't mind?"

"No. Of course not. You're okay?"

"Yes." She released him and stretched. "Thank you for asking, though. How do you feel?"

"I'm okay. _Sleepy_." He hesitated. "_Sure_ you're alright?"

Romanoff smiled. Peter was perceptive, but no match for her.

"I'm fine. _Really_. I should probably get up and start my day."

"What are you doing, today?" he asked, curiously.

"I think I'm going to the sanctum," she told him, sitting up. "I want to talk to Wong and Stephen."

"About the skrull?"

"Among other things."

"Do you want company?"

She smiled.

"I would love your company; you know that. But you might wait and see if Tony or Pepper have anything in mind for you, today. With school getting ready to start, they might want to do something with you."

"Did you see the detail they had done on my car, yesterday?"

"No. I'll look when I leave." She checked his forehead – mostly out of habit – and then got out of his bed. "I'll see you later, gator."

"At breakfast?"

"Since I know that Stephen is going to come by and double-check to make sure that your insides don't slide out of you during PE, I'll probably see you then, yes. Dinner, for certain, if not."

"Okay."

He watched her leave and stretched, lazily, thinking that he should just go back to bed for a while. With school starting, he wasn't going to be able to sleep in, anymore, and he should enjoy it while he could. The other – more responsible – part of him argued that he should probably get up and get used to being out of bed, early, again.

He mumbled and rolled out of the bed, landing lightly on his feet and headed for the bathroom.

"_Morning, Peter."_

"Hi, Karen."

OOOOOOO

"Wait. _What_?"

"I've told you what I know, honey," Tony told his wife as they were getting ready for their day. "The guy is there to heal him from the inside out, and wants to listen in on whatever the Mind stone can tell Peter about this Thanos guy."

"And you're alright with that?"

He shrugged, pulling on a t-shirt, since he wasn't planning on going anywhere too formal that day.

"I'm more alright with it, now, than I was before I met him and talked to him – although he never actually spoke aloud, so I don't know what he needs a mouth for."

He'd described the alien that he'd seen – including the furry body and tiny mouth, assuring her that Alec didn't look anything like the Chitari aliens who had attacked New York. He was also quick to reassure her that he and the others didn't seem to have taken any harm from being accosted in the middle of the night for a clandestine conversation with a long-dead alien sorcerer. It helped, he knew, that Stephen had been included in the group.

Rony was erratic – they both knew it – and Natasha was deadly, but also had a tendency to shoot first (and second and _third_, sometimes) and then worry about her own safety. Stephen was more methodical than either of them. One of the reasons that he was such a good match for Romanoff as far as they were both concerned – not that it was any of their business (but they made it their business, because it was _Natasha_).

"To eat?" she pointed out. "Unless he didn't _look_ like he eats?"

"Yeah, that could be," he conceded.

"What else did he say?"

"Peter's well-adjusted and we're doing great. Which we already knew." Although it was nice to get the affirmation, really. "We'll keep doing what we're doing, and make sure he knows how much we love him. Yes?"

"I _suppose_."

She didn't look completely convinced, but she didn't look like she was freaking out, either, and that was a relief to Tony. He hadn't even considered hiding the conversation that he'd been involved with from her; it was about _Peter_ and she needed (and had a right) to know everything going on with him. She was mom, after all, and it was hard enough to do that job and fill that role with a kid like Peter – or any kid, Tony supposed – he wasn't going to make it tougher by having that shocker come blind-siding her out of the blue some day.

"_Karen reports that Peter is awake and out of bed,"_ Friday said.

"He's early," Pepper said, glancing at her watch. "I'd have thought that he would take advantage of the last few days of being able to sleep in."

"He's probably getting himself ready to be up, earlier," Tony hazarded. "He needs more school clothes, by the way."

"I asked him and he said he's fine."

Tony shrugged.

"Alec said he doesn't have enough."

"Now he's the clothes police?"

"Pepper…"

She scowled.

"I know." She wasn't enamored of the idea of the alien, still – despite Tony being less concerned, now. "We can take him, today. If he feels up to it."

"Stephen's coming by this morning for a final look," Tony told her. "We'll see what he says, and plan accordingly."

"I could just go pick some things up for him, if not."

Tony smirked.

"Probably should let him be there to pick it out. He's a teenager; you don't want to pick wrong."

Pepper rolled her eyes, and reached for his hand.

"He wears jeans and t-shirts, Tony. Teach him to be the clothes-horse that you are and I'll be more worried about his sense of fashion."

Which was completely true.

"Still…"

"If Stephen clears him, we'll have a chance to spend the day with him. Clothes shopping won't take too long; we can find something else to do for the rest of the day – maybe a museum, or the science exhibit at the convention center. He and Ned were talking about it."

"Sounds good."

He didn't care what they did, really. As long as he was doing it with them.

OOOOOOO

Despite them being awake before he was, Peter beat them to the lounge. Of course, it took him ten minutes to get himself ready to start his day – _including_ a shower – so it wasn't that much of a surprise. Pepper and Tony entered the lounge and found him sitting at the corner table talking to Natasha and Stephen and drinking a glass of orange juice.

All of them looked over when they walked up.

"Good morning," Tony said, by way of greeting to all of them. He and the others had already agreed that Peter didn't need to know everything that was going on, and would leave that to Alec. His gaze did linger on his son, though, but no one – _including_ Peter – thought that was unusual. Especially when he spoke, next. "Did you have a chance to check him out, Stephen?" the billionaire asked. "Is he going to survive his first few days as a junior?"

"The sutures look clean – what few there are remaining," Strange assured them both, taking a sip of his coffee. "He says he doesn't hurt too much and his numbers are all good. Make sure his school is aware of what happened, so they know to watch for any signs of him overdoing it, but he's good to go, I'd say."

Pepper looked at the boy.

"Yes?"

Peter nodded his agreement.

"Yeah. I think I'm good."

"Good." She reached for his forehead, anyway – just to make sure. "Do you have anything planned, today?"

"No. You?"

"We thought we'd take you shopping and make sure you have enough school clothes."

"I'm probably alright," Peter told her. They all knew that he didn't like to make them feel like they needed to fuss over him; as far as Peter was concerned (although Tony and Pepper disagreed, completely) he was enough of a source of worry to them about the big things. He didn't like them to sweat the small stuff and because of that, he tried to be self-sufficient when he could. "I have a few pairs of jeans and some shirts. What else do I need, really?"

Pepper smiled.

"We'll just make sure, okay?"

"Yeah."

If nothing else, it would be a good way to spend the day with them. Maybe they could go out for lunch, somewhere. Or a museum, if Pepper had the time.

"Stephen?" Tony said, breaking into Peter's thoughts. "Are you and Wong still looking into making that spell of yours world-wide?"

The sorcerer nodded.

"We have a few other research projects that have come up," he said, carefully keeping his expression neutral – since Tony already knew what they were researching, and Pepper probably did as well, by now. "But it's a priority. We're going to assume there aren't any more skrull on the planet, but better that we know for certain – and that they can't emulate anyone in a top government position."

"Carol is sticking around for a while, too," Natasha reminded them. "Just in case."

They all smiled at that, though, because even Peter knew Steve had been glad to hear she wasn't going back to wherever she was hanging out in space the last several years. And they were all sure that he wasn't even thinking about the security of the planet.

Or at least, that wasn't his _first_ consideration.

"Let's eat," Tony said, rubbing his hands together. "I'm hungry and we have a busy day ahead of us."

Back to school shopping waited for no one, after all. Even _Ironman_.


	57. Epilogue

It was a small group that met at the sanctum not long after Pepper and Tony left the compound with Peter.

Steve, Carol, Clint and Natasha were all brought there with a portal created by Wong, who greeted them all with a slight bow and silently led them up the staircase to the library, where Stephen was seated at the massive table that he and Wong preferred to use for their research when they were in that particular room. The cloak was in its usual spot on his collar, but it waved a corner of fabric toward them when they entered the room, and Strange looked up at their arrival.

"You heard about our conversation with Alec?" he asked the others without preamble, even though a pot of coffee and several mugs appeared on the table – along with a plate filled with pastries.

"Yes," Steve said, taking a mug and filling it. "Natasha told us. But tell us, again, so we have it from you as well."

They all seated themselves at the table, and the sorcerer told them his version of what had happened the evening before – and then Natasha told Wong from her perspective, well aware that the other sorcerer was going to need the information, too. He wasn't an Avenger – in name – but he was definitely going to be in the middle of everything that was coming – whatever it turned out to be.

When they were done, they were all silent for a long moment, mulling over what they'd heard.

Clint looked at Carol.

"You've never heard of this Thanos guy?"

"No. But it's a big universe."

"We'll look here," Stephen told them. "And drop the name at the other sanctums – just to see if we get any recognition."

"I assume we're not telling anyone else about the connection with Peter?" Steve asked.

"Including _Peter_," Natasha confirmed. "The guy has enough to worry about, already. We're not going to add to it."

"Agreed," Stephen said, nodding. "Alec has him able to handle the infinity stones being close to him – and has implied that he's working on healing some of the trauma caused by the spider bite. Presumably, he'll keep Peter informed if something comes up that he needs to know about, and is mentalist enough to shield him from the rest."

"So we've decided he's an ally?" Clint asked, uncertainty in his expression.

"I have," Strange allowed. "Peter's confirmed that the being can't force him to do anything – and hasn't tried to – and the connection that the boy has with the Mind stone makes me believe that the thing wouldn't have allowed Alec anywhere near Peter unless it knew he has his best interests in mind."

"Thanos can hide from the Mind stone, though," Clint said. "We already know this Alec guy is powerful. Maybe he can, too."

"Thanos isn't _hiding_ from the Mind stone," Wong disagreed. "The Mind stone just isn't sharing what it knows. Nothing can hide from it."

"Which is why Alec is in the perfect position – clearly by design. If the Mind stone lets something slip to Peter, Alec will see it – hopefully – and can pass the information on. Whatever this Thanos guy wants the stones for, it can't be good."

They all agreed to that.

"Makes you wonder, though…" Clint said, stretching from being in the same position for so long.

"Wonder what?" Carol asked.

"The stones are the most powerful things in the universe, right?"

Strange hesitated, and then shrugged.

"They're right up there, from what I've researched."

Wong nodded his agreement.

"Then, if the _Mind stone_ didn't put Alec in Peter's head to spy on itself, it makes you wonder who else out there is powerful enough to do it. You mentioned he's in there by design. But who _designed_ it?"

Now the room was silent, again, and Natasha scowled, and shrugged, finally.

"It doesn't matter. Not right now, anyway. We can work with the assumption that he/she or it has the best interests of the universe in mind, or it wouldn't be taking steps to figure things out."

"Yeah. True."

"But we'll keep our eyes open," Wong said.

"So will we."

OOOOOOO

"You understand that I'm _rich_, right?"

Peter looked at Tony, who was leaning on a clothes rack near at hand, watching him, and nodded, wondering why he was mentioning it.

"Yes. I've noticed."

"And that when I adopted you that made you _officially_ my son…"

The boy smiled.

"That's how I understand it to work from what the judge told me, yes."

"Vicariously, that makes _you_ rich, too."

"I was _already_ rich," Peter reminded him. "I have the trust fund, from when my parents died."

It didn't hurt, quite as much, to think of them, lately. Even when he mentioned it so casually.

"Then would you _please_ pick out something other than jeans and t-shirts?"

"I got those _slacks_…"

Tony rolled his eyes, waving his arms, expansively, at the clothing store they were in – and all of the stacks of clothing.

"You need more than one pair of slacks, son."

"I have half a dozen back home."

"But those aren't _new_ ones."

"They're pretty close to new. None of them have holes in them, or are worn out."

"How about some new _shirts_, then?"

"I _have_ shirts, dad."

"Peter… you're killing your mom, here… look at her." He gestured to Pepper, who was also leaning against one of the clothing racks, holding up a salmon colored button down shirt in one hand, and a teal colored similar shirt in the other. "You need some nice clothes."

"It's _high school_," he reminded them, both. "I don't need a $75 shirt to wear in algebra."

He was enjoying the clothes shopping with them; the last time he had gone was when Natasha and Pepper had taken him, right before May's funeral (and even that didn't hurt that much to think about, just then), but Peter was frugal by nature, and didn't have expansive – or expensive – tastes, and it was almost amusing to him to see Tony roll his eyes at his choices.

"Homecoming is coming, though, right?" Pepper asked, breaking into his reverie. "You'll want to wear something nice for that. We could get you a suit."

"I _have_ nice clothes, already. _And_ a suit. _Two_ of them."

Not the one he wore to May's funeral, though. That one had gone to the cleaners and had never returned. A thoughtful gesture on Tony or Pepper's part that Peter hadn't mentioned, but much appreciated.

"Peter…"

The boy shook his head, and held up a Star Wars shirt that he'd found on the clearance rack.

"This is cool."

"Yes, and you can _get_ it. But what about this one, too?" Tony asked, holding up another button down. "_It's_ cool."

"It's covered in little palm trees."

"_Cool_ little palm trees."

"I'm not wearing that. Not to school. Do you want me to get beat up?"

"No one's going to beat you up."

"I'd beat _myself_ up, being seen in that."

Pepper snorted, holding up the salmon shirt a little higher.

"This one's nice."

He shrugged, and nodded.

"Okay. But _just_ that one."

"And the _yellow_ one," she added, holding up one he'd declined, earlier.

"I'll look like a giant banana."

"Men look good in yellow," Tony told him.

"_You've_ never worn yellow," Peter countered.

"Sure, I have."

"Fine, I'll get the blue shirt and the pink one –"

"_Salmon_," Pepper corrected.

"_Salmon_ one, and _you_ get the yellow one."

Tony frowned.

"We're not shopping for me, though."

"You found new shoes…"

"We're not _clothes_ shopping for me."

"Meaning, you don't like the yellow shirt, right?" Peter challenged.

"No. It's a _great_ shirt. Pepper? Talk to your son, will you? He's being a pain in my ass."

Peter smiled.

He was thoroughly enjoying himself, and he could tell – despite the current conversation, or because of it – that Tony and Pepper were having a good time, too.

They'd driven into the city in Pepper's Audi, and had gone to a high end clothing store. One Tony and Pepper both frequented, but that Peter couldn't find anything that he really wanted to wear, there. He'd been reasonable, he thought, pointing out that either the fit of the shirts was uncomfortable, or the colors were a little too flashy, or the combinations of colors weren't anything that he liked.

Tony found a pair of shoes and Pepper had wandered off, returning with a couple of new blouses and a sweater that Peter and Tony both agreed looked good on her. Then they had left, heading for yet another store. This one had been a little better for Peter, and he'd picked out a few pairs of jeans, the Star Wars shirt and some socks and boxers – but he still wasn't all that interested in the clothes that his parents were choosing.

Obviously.

Pepper smiled, too, and pulled out her phone, making a call while both of the guys watched her, curiously. A moment later, MJ's image popped up on the 3D display.

"_Hi, Pepper."_

"Hello, dear. Busy?"

"_No, not really. What's up?"_

She was clearly a little surprised to be receiving a call from Peter's mom, and had that slightly concerned expression that they'd all noticed she tended to wear when anyone mentioned him being Spider-man or doing anything dangerous.

"Will you tell Peter that men can look nice in yellow?"

She handed the phone to Tony, who gave Peter a smug look when he held it up so MJ could watch as Pepper brought the yellow shirt over and displayed it in front of Peter, who rolled his eyes, but looked at MJ.

"_It looks good,"_ the girl said. _"You have decent coloring to wear yellow. But don't wear it with khakis; you'll look like an over-ripe banana."_

Tony snorted and handed the phone back to Pepper.

"Thank you, MJ," she said.

"_You're welcome."_ The girl smiled_. "Anything else you want me to talk him into approving?"_

"Nope. We're good."

The call ended and she looked at Peter, one eyebrow raised.

"Well?"

"Fine. I'll get the yellow one, too. But _not_ the palm trees."

"Deal. _Tony_ can get the palm trees."

"What?" The billionaire frowned. "I didn't-"

"It's _cool_," Peter reminded him. "Covered in cool little pine trees…."

Tony rolled his eyes, again.

"Fine. Just for that, though, you're buying lunch."

Peter nodded; he was done clothes shopping – for now. If they bought him any more things, he'd need a bigger closet.

"That's fair."

Pepper handed all of the shirts to Tony and put an arm around Peter as they walked toward the salesperson, who had been standing attentively close at hand, but far enough away that he wasn't hovering.

"I want a hot dog."

He smiled and his arm went around hers.

"Anything you want, momma."

**The End.**

_A/N: So, there we go! Things are moving… wheels turning and the plot is thickening. I'll start the next story within a couple of days. Hope you liked it!_


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